^lOFPRWCf?5^ 


-^ftOGICALSE*^ 


lis 


NOTES, 

CRITICAL    AND   PRACTICAL, 


ON  THE  BOOKS  OF 


JOSHUA   AND   JUDGES, 


DESIGNED  AS  A  GENERAL  HELP  TO 


BIBLICAL  READING  AND  INSTRUCTION. 


BY 

GEORGE    BUSH, 

PROF.    HEB.   AND   ORIENT.  LIT.,   N.Y,    CITY    UNIVERSITY. 


NEW-YORK: 
E.  FRENCH,  146  NASSAU-STREET. 


1838. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Confess,  by  Eli  French,  in  the 
.year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-seven,  in  the 
Clerk's  office  of  the  southern  district  of  New- York. 


Ptinted  by  W. Molineux,  coiner  of  Chatbana 
and  Roosevelt  Streets. 


PREFACE. 


A  VERY  slight  inspection  of  the  pages  of  the  present 
work  will  disclose  to  the  reader  its  general  character,  and 
enable  him  to  judge  how  far  it  is  likely  to  supply  an  existing 
desideratum.  Little,  therefore,  need  be  said  by  way  of 
preface.  My  main  object  has  been  to  afford  facilities  for 
the  correct  understanding  of  the  sacred  text — to  aid  the 
student  of  the  Bible  in  ascertaining  with  the  utmost  prac 
ticable  exactness  the  genuine  sense  of  the  original.  With 
such  an  object  in  view  it  was  perhaps  impossible  to  avoid 
giving  the  work  an  aspect  predominantly  critical;  and  yet 
unless  I  have  utterly  missed  my  aim,  there  will  be  found 
such  a  union  of  the  criticcd  and  the  practical,  as  to  adapt 
the  volume  somewhat  happily  to  popular  use.  Should  this 
prove  not  to  be  the  case,  I  shall  feel  that  the  failure  has 
been  rather  in  the  execution,  than  in  the  plan ;  for  I  know 
no  reason  to  suppose  that  the  two  departments  are  intrin- 
sically incompatible,  or  that  the  two-fold  function  of  the 
exegetical  and  the  ethical  expositor  may  not  be  united  in 
the  same  person. 


PREFACE. 


No  one  at  all  conversant  with  the  subject  of  biblical 
annotation  but  must  be  aware,  that  there  is  a  large  mass  of 
materials  accumulated  by  the  critical  toil  of  prior  commen- 
tators, and  constituting  a  kind  of  common  property,  of  which 
each  successive  laborer  in  the  field  feels  at  libery  to  avail 
himself.  The  propriety  of  this  is  universally  conceded, 
provided  he  sets  up  no  special  claim  to  what  he  finds  thus 
made  ready  to  his  hands.  Indeed  it  is  quite  obvious  that  the 
credit  of  originality  in  this  department  cannot  be  secured, 
but  at  the  expense  of  the  greatest  measure  of  utility — an 
expense  which  I  have  not  seen  fit  to  incur.  I  have  ac- 
cordingly availed  myself  freely  of  all  accessible  sources  of 
Scripture  elucidation  that  could  be  made  subservient  to 
my  plan,  and  have  frequently  interwoven  with  my  own  re- 
marks phrases  and  sentences,  and,  in  some  cases,  para- 
graphs, without  the  formality  of  express  quotation.  But 
however  large  may  be  my  acknowledgement  of  indebted- 
ness on  this  score,  it  is  but  justice  to  myself  to  say,  that  I 
have  generally  weighed  in  my  own  scales  the  evidence  for 
or  against  a  particular  rendering  or  interpretation,  and 
that  after  every  abatement,  much,  very  much,  will  be 
found  in  the  present  volume  not  to  he  inet  with  any  where 
else.  Of  the  intrinsic  value  of  these  portions  of  the  work, 
the  estimate,  of  course,  must  be  left  to  those  for  whose 
benefit  it  has  been  prepared. 

It  is  my  purpose,  should  a  favorable  Providence  per- 
mit, to  go  over  all  the  historical  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment on  the  same  plan.  Other  indispensable  engagements 
may  make  the  intervals  of  publication  somewhat  wide,  but 
the  matter  of  a  similar  volume  to  the  present  on  the  book  of 


PREFACE.  *         3 

Genesis  is  already  in  a  considerable  state  of  forwardness, 
and  will  probably  be  ready  for  the  press  in  the  course  of 
the  ensuing  year  ;  to  be  followed  as  speedily  as  possible  by 
a  series  of  volumes  on  the  remaining  books  of  the  Penta- 
teuch. 

G.  B. 

New-York,  June  \st,  1837. 


THE   BOOK   OF   JOSHUA. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 


INTRODUCTION. 


I. — Author  and  Age. 

This  is  the  first  book  in  the  sacred  canon  called  after  the  name  of  an 
individual.  Of  the  books  thas  distinguished,  some  bear  the  name  of  their 
authors — as  all  the  books  of  Prophecy;  and  others,  those  of  persons  who 
act  a  con«;picuous  part  in  the  transactions  recorded — as  Ruth,  Job,  and 
others.  The  present  book  might  well  be  called  'the  Book  of  Joshua'  on. 
the  latter  ground,  as  it  exclusively  relates  to  the  proceedings  of  that  great 
leader,  in  fulfillment  of  the  high  commission  entrusted  to  him,  and  ter- 
minates with  his  death.  If,  however,  as  many  critics  suppose,  Joshua 
himself  was  the  author  of  the  book,  it  has  a  two-fold  claim  to  be  distin- 
guished by  his  name.  But  the  true  authorship  and  date  of  the  book  have 
never  been,  and  probably  never  can  be,  satisfactorily  ascertained  ;  and  it 
would  be  to  little  profit  to  canvass  the  different  hypotheses  which  hnve 
been  advanced  upon  the  subject.  The  sum  of  the  matter  seems  to  be,  (1.) 
That  the  book  was  either  written  by  Joshua  towards  the  clo^e  of  his  life— 
the  five  last  verses  being  added  by  a  properly  authorised  person  after  his 
death — fr,  (2.)  That  it  was  wholly  written  after  his  demise  from  docu- 
ments penned  by  him  or  under  his  direction.  These  are  the  substantial 
alternatives;  and  it  cannoi  be  very  material  which  of  them  is  adopted,  as 
the  genuineness  and  canonical  authority  of  the  book  is  in  either  case  left 
entirely  unaffected.  If  it  were  not  written  by  Joshua  himself,  a  com- 
parison of  ch.  15.  63,  with  2  Sam.  5.  6 — 8,  respecting  the  capture  of  a 
part  of  Jerusalem,  will  make  it  quite  evident  that  it  must  have  been 
written  before  the  seventh  year  of  David's  reign.  But  it  maybe  safely 
admitted,  that  even  on  the  supposition  that  the  substance  of  the  book  was 
indited  by  Joshua,  there  are  in  addition  to  the  five  last  verses,  several 
others  interspersed  which  could  not  have  been  written  by  him,  but  were 
inserted  by  a  later  hand ;  and  the  above  for  aught  that  appears,  may 
have  been  of  the  number.  But  passages  of  this  description  are  few  and 
brief,  and  do  not  materially  affect  the  plausibility  of  the  opinion  which 
ascribes  the  authorship  of  the  book  to  the  personage  whose  name  it  bears. 
This  opinion  is  confirmed,  though  not  established,  by  the  fact,  that  the 
general  voice  of  Jewish  tradition  assigns  to  the  book  the  same  author. 

II, — Contents,  Scope  and  Design. 

The  book  relates  the  history  of  Israel  while  under  the  command  and 
government  of  Joshua  ;  the  entrance  of  the  Hebrews  into  Canaan ;  their 


6  INTRODUCTION. 

conquest  of  the  greater  part  of  the  country ;  the  division  of  the  territory 
by  loi  among  the  several  tribes;  and  ihe  provision  made  for  the  settle- 
ment and  establishment  of  the  Jewish  church  in  that  country.  The  length 
of  time  embraced  in  this  history  is  variously  stated  by  chronologists,  at 
seventeen,  twenty-seven,  and  thirty  years.  Between  twenty-six  and 
twenty-seven  years  is  the  usually  received  and  most  probable  period. 
The  "leading  drift  of  the  writer  is  to  demonstrate  the  faithfulness  ot  God 
in  the  perfect  accomplishment  of  all  his  promises  to  the  patriarchs,  Abra- 
ham, Isaac,  Jacob,  and  Joseph,  and  also  to  Moses,  that  the  children  of 
Israel  should  obtain  possession  of  the  land  of  Canaan.  Viewed  in  this 
light,  it  is  an  invaluable  appendage  to  the  preceding  five  books  of  Moses, 
and  indeed  bears  to  them  very  much  the  same  relation  as  does  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles  to  the  Gospels  of  the  four  Evangelists.  The  inspired 
historian  relates,  with  all  the  animation  of  one  who  was  an  actual  eye- 
witness and  participator  of  the  scenes  described,  the  successive  miracles 
that  favored  and  secured  the  conquest  of  the  country,  the  general  zeal, 
activity,  and  obedience  of  Israel  in  prosecuting  their  wars,  with  the  oc- 
casional lapses  and  transgressions  that  interrupted  the  career  of  their 
victories.  We  see  the  divine  power  and  faithfulness  conspicuously  dis- 
played in  guiding,  cherishing,  and  defending  the  chosen  people  amidst 
all  the  trials  to  which  they  were  exposed;  and  while  the  general  tenor  of 
the  narrative  afl^ords  a  striking  emblem  of  the  warfare  of  the  Christian 
in  gaining  possession  of  his  heavenly  inheritance,  it  ministers  the  most 
abundant  encouragement  to  those  who  in  sincerity  and  faith  throw 
themselves  upon  the  superintending  care  of  that  Being,  who  keepeth 
covenant  and  mercy  for  ever. 

III. —  Commentators. 

Andreje  Mash.  Josu(b  Imperatoris  Hisioria  illustrata  atque 
explicata.     Antverpise,  1574.  Fol. 

Masius,  though  a  lawyer  and  a  Catholic,  has  produced  by  far  the  most 
elaborate  work  ever  published  on  the  book  of  Joshua,  and  incomparcbly 
the  most  valuable  commentary,  with  the  single  exception  of  that  of  Cal- 
met,  to  which  the  Roman  church  can  lay  claim.  Considering  the  age  in 
which  it  was  written,  and  the  limited  facilities  which  the  author  could 
have  enjoyed  for  such  a  performance,  it  is  truly  a  remarkable  work,  and 
it  will  rather  enhance  the  reader's  estimation  of  its  merit  to  know,  that  it 
comes  within  the  list  of  books  prohibited  by  the  Papal  see — a  fate  which 
we  might  be  certain  a  priori  its  excellence  would  secure  to  it.  Pool,  in 
the  preface  to  his  Sj-nopsis,  says  of  Masius,  '  Vir  longiore  vita  et  immor- 
tali  memoria  dignus ;  interpres  cui  parem  ingenio,  judicio,  rerum  ac 
Imguarum  peritia,  candore  et  modestia,  baud  facile  reperies.'— yl  ?nan 
ivokhy  of  a  longer  life  and  of  an  undying  celebrity  ;  an  interpreter,  whose 
eqnol'in  talent, pidgnicnt,  historical  knoqcledge,  skill  in  languages,  candor 
and  modesty,  is  not  easily  to  be  found.  Similar  commendation  is  bestowed 
by  Buddeus,  Walchius'and  other  bibliographers  upon  the  commentary  of 
Masius,  and  from  having  it  constantly  before  me  in  the  preparation  of 
the  ensuing  notes,  I  feel  no  hesitation  in  subscribing  to  the  general  justice 
of  these  encomiums.  The  work  contains,  besides  the  commentary,  the 
book  of  Joshua  in  the  original  Hebrew,  with  the  Greek  of  the  Septuagint 
and  a  three-fold  Latin  translation,  together  with  a  preface  containing 
valuable  readings  to  the  Greek,  from  a  manuscript  copy  in  his  possession, 
which  since  hisdtjath  has  unfortunately  been  lost  to  the  learned  world. 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

Sebast.  Schmidii.  PrcBfectiones  academicce,  in  octo  priora 
libri  Josu(B  capita.     Hamburgi,  1693.  4to. 

For  the  character  of  Schmid  as  a  Scriptural  critic,  see  the  list  of 
Commentators  prefixed  to  the  book  of  Judges.  His  Prelections  on  Joshua, 
which  were  arrested  by  the  death  of  the  author  at  the  eighth  chapter,  are 
of  similar  character  and  value  with  those  on  the  succeeding  book, 

Victor  Strigelii.  Liber  Josucr  argumentis  et  scholiis  illus- 
tratus.     Lips.  1570,  1576.  8vo. 

David  CnYXRiEi.  PrceJediones  in  lihrum  Josucs.  Ros- 
tochii,  1577.  8vo. 

NicoL.  Serarii.  Commentarius  in  Lihrum  Josuce.  Duob. 
Tom.  Mogunt.  1609.     Pans.  1610.  Fol. 

Jac.  Bonfrerii.  Josua,  Judices,  et  Ruth  commentario  illus- 
trati.     Paris.  1631.     Fol. 

H.  E.  G.  Paulus.  Blicke  in  das  Buck  Josua,  als  Vorges- 
chichte  der  Suffetin  und  Samuels,  in  auctoris  TheologiscluExege- 
tischen  Conservatorium,  P.  II.  p.  149  et  seq.     Heidelberg.  1822. 

F.  J.  V.  D.  Maurer.  Commentar  uher  das  Buck  Joshua, 
Stuttgard,  1831.  8vo. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA, 


N 


CHAPTER  I. 

OW  after  the  death  of  Moses, 
the  servant  of  the  Lord,  it 


CHAPTER  I. 

1.  Noio  after  the  death  of  Moses. 
Heb. '  And  after,' &c.  The  use  of  the 
copulative '  and'  brings  this  book  into 
immediate  connection  with  the  fore- 
going— the  last  chapter  of  which  is 
supposed  also  to  have  been  written 
by  Joshua — and  so  makes  it  a  regu- 
lar continuation  of  the  sacred  narra- 
tive begun  and  carried  on  by  Moses 
through  the  five  preceding  books. 
The  ancient  division  of  the  Scrip- 
tures into  sections  and  books  vjzs,  less 
clearly  marked  than  at  present,  as 
in  those  early  ages  several  books 
were  connected  together,  and  fol- 
lowed each  other  on  the  same  roll, 
so  that  it  might  not  always  be  per- 
fectly easy  to  tell  where  one  ended, 
and  the  other  began. — The  time  re- 
ferred to  at  the  opening  of  this  book, 
was  probably  at  the  conclusion  of 
the  thirty  days  mourning  for  Moses, 
spoken  of  Deut.  34.  8;  or  it  might 
have  been  during  that  period ;  in 
which  time  also  it  is  the  opinion  of 
some  commentators  that  the  spies, 
(chap.  2.  1.)  were  sent  out.  If  The 
Lord  spake  unto  Joshua.  Of  the 
manner  of  this  communication  we 
are  not  expressly  informed.  From 
the  fact  that  Moses  and  Joshua,  just 
before  the  death  of  the  former,  were 
summoned  together  into  the  '  taber- 
nacle of  the  congregation,'  Deut. 
31.  14,  that  the  dying  charge  of 
Moses  might  be  given  to  his  suc- 
cessor, it  seems  highly  probable  that 
the  instructions  and  encouragements 
imparted  on  this  occasion  were  deli- 
vered from  the  same  place.  IT  The 
servant  of  the  Lord.  A  high  and  ho- 
norable "title,  applied  to  Moses,  not 
merely  in  the  sense  in  which  it  is  ap- 
plied to  pious  and  good  men  gener- 


came  to  pass,  that  the  Lord 
spake  unto  Joshua  the  son  of 
Nun,  Moses'  "^  minister,  saying, 

a  Ex.  24.  13.     Deut.  I.  38. 


ally,  who  may  justly  be  styled  ser- 
vants of  the  Most  High,  inasmuch  as 
it  is  the  grand  aim  of  their  lives  to 
serve  and  obey  him;  but  in  this  con- 
nection carrying  with  it  a  reference 
to  the  peculiar  nature  of  the  service 
in  which  Moses  was  employed,  viz. 
that  of  a  minister,  mediator,  deputy, 
or  vicegerent  of  God,  the  honored  or- 
gan through  whom  he  communica- 
ted his  will  to  his  chosen  people  and 
managed  all  their  varied  interests.  It 
is  in  this  character  that  he  stands  so 
highly  commended  in  the  sacred  vo- 
lume, having  received  the  divine  tes- 
timony to  his  being  '  found  faithful 
in  all  God's  house  as  a  servant,''  and 
being  expressly  distinguished  by  this 
title,  not  only  here,  where  God  him- 
self is  pleased  so  to  denominate  him, 
V.  2,  but  also  in  Rev.  15.  3,  where  it 
is  said  of  the  company  standing  upon 
the  sea  of  glass,  that  they  '  sing  the 
song  of  Moses  the  servant  of  God? 
On  the  sense  of  ministerial  ruling 
oftentimes  involved  in  the  term  ser- 
vant, see  Note  Gen.  24.  2.    IT  Moses' 
minister.     That   is,  his  immediate 
attendant,  one  who  waited  upon  his 
person,  and  assisted  him  in  business ; 
one  of  whose  services  he  availed 
himself  in  a  variety  of  ways,  as  Eli- 
sha  of  those  of  Gehazi.     The  word 
is  rendered  in  some  copies  of  the 
Greek,  vnnpyoi,  an  under-workman, 
in  others,  Qepairwv,  one  that  waits,  at- 
tends upon,  ministers  to.    Previous 
to  the  death  of  Moses,  Joshua  had 
been  specially  designated  to  the  of- 
fice which  he  is  now  called  to  assume, 
Deut.  1.  38;   31.  3,  6—8;   and  for 
which  he  was  peculiarly  qualified 
by  his  long  familiarity  with  Moses, 
and  by  the  training  which  he  would 
naturally  receive  in  the  station  occu- 


10 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


2  ^  Moses  my  servant  is  dead ; 
now  therefore  arise,  go  over  this 
Jordan,  thou  and  all  this  people, 
unto  the  land  which  I  do  give  to 


pied  under  him.  An  humble  and 
devoted  spirit,  a  willingness  to  serve 
God  in  the  meanest  employments,  is 
the  best  preparative,  and  often  the 
surest  precursor  to  posts  of  honor 
and  dignity  in  the  church.  Wher- 
ever this  is  the  case,  no  previous 
lowness  or  obscurity  of  origin  is, 
in  God's  sight,  an  obstacle  to  advance- 
ment. Persons  of  this  character  are 
often  surprised  to  look  back,  and  see 
from  what  small  beginnings  they 
have  been  raised  step  by  step,  under 
the  guidance  of  Piovidence,  to  sta- 
tions of  the  most  extensive  influence 
and  usefulness. 

2.  Moses  my  servant  is  dead.  As 
Joshua  was  of  course  aware  of  the 
fact  of  Moses'  decease,  these  words 
could  not  be  intended  merely  to  an- 
nounce to  him  that  event.  They 
are  equivalent  to  saying, '  The  death 
of  my  servant  Moses  has  left  the 
people  without  a  leader  and  a  head 
to  conduct  them  into  the  promised 
land.  It  is  necessary  tRat  his  place 
should  be  immediately  filled.  Thou 
hast  been  selected  for  that  office, 
and  the  time  has  now  come  for 
thee  to  enter  upon  the  active  dis- 
charge of  its  duties.  Arise  there- 
fore, and  go  at  once  about  the  work 
of  thy  high  calling.'  Probably  Jo- 
shua's deep  sense  of  his  own  insuf- 
ficiency and  unworthiness,  and  of 
the  many  dangers  and  difficulties 
which  encompassed  his  path,  had 
caused  him  somewhat  to  despond 
aijid  waver  in  spirit,  and  rendered 
necessary  this  direct  and  rousing 
siimmons,  which,  for  the  same  rea- 
son, God  was  pleased  to  accompany 
with  so  many  encouraging  pro- 
mises. When  it  is  considered  that 
Joshua  was  now  ninety-three  years 
of  age,  that  he  had  to  govern  a  very 
perverse  and  rebellious  people,  and 
was  going  to  contend  with  a  warlike 
and  forinidable  enemy,  it  will  per- 


them,   even  to  the   children  of 
Israel. 

3  "  Every  place  that  the  sole 
of  your  foot  shall  tread  upon, 


c  Deul.  11.  21.  ch.  14.  9, 


haps  appear,  that  nothing  short  of 
the  divine  assurance  he  now  re- 
ceived, could  have  sustained  his 
courage  in  such  an  arduous  sta- 
tion. IT  Go  over  this  Jordan.  This 
river,  which  you  now  have  in  full 
view  before  you,  and  on  the  banks  of 
which  you  are  encamped.  For  a  de- 
scription of  the  Jordan,  see  '  Illustra- 
tions of  the  Scriptures,'  p.  20.  It  was 
doubtless  a  severe  trial  to  Joshua's 
faith,  to  be  thus  called  upon  to  make 
immediate  preparation  for  crossing 
a  river  that  was  now  overflowing  its 
banks,  chap.  3.  15,  and  for  getting 
over  which  he  was  totally  unprovi- 
ded with  the  ordinary  means,  whe- 
ther of  boats  or  bridges.  But  as  God 
had  given  the  command,  he  must 
not  doubt  that  he  would  open  a 
way  for  his  people,  though  it  should 
be  by  cleaving  the  waters  and  re- 
peating the  miracle  witnessed  at  the 
Red  Sea.  It  was  as  certain  that 
they  should  be  conducted  over  the 
Jordan,  as  it  was  that  they  should  be 
led  i7ito  Canaan,  and  to  this  the  Most 
High  had  pledged  himself  by  the 
most  solemn  promises,  renewed  from 
age  toage,  from  the  time  of  Abraham 
down  to  that  Moses.  With  a  '  Thus 
saith  the  Lord'  for  our  warrant,  we 
may  boldly  go  forth  in  the  face  of 
obstacles  that  are  absolutely  insuper- 
able to  human  power.  IT  Unto  the 
land  lokich  I  do  give  to  them.  Heb. 
'  am  giving.'  That  is,  the  land  of 
which  I  have  long  promised  them 
the  inheritance,  and  of  which  I  am 
now  in  the  very  act  of  putting  them 
in  possession.  Though  the  promis- 
es of  God  may  be  slow  in  fulfilling, 
yet  the  accomplishment  will  come 
at  last ;  not  one  jot  or  tittle  shall  fail. 
Though  'the  vision  be  for  an  ap- 
pointed time,  yet  at  the  end  it  shall 
speak,  it  shall  not  lie :  though  it 
tarry,  wait  for  it;  because  it  will 
surely  come,  it  will  not  tarry,' 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  I. 


11 


that  have  I  given  unto  you,  as 
I  said  unto  Moses. 

4  '^  From  the  wilderness  and 
this  Lebanon  even  unto  the  great 

d   Gen.  15.  18.    Ex.  23-  31.    Num   34.  3—12. 


3.  Every  place  that  the  sole  of  your 
foot  shall  tread  upon.  That  is,  ever)'' 
place  within  the  limits  specified  in 
the  ensuing  verse.  The  expression 
in  this,  as  in  innumerable  other 
cases,  must  be  qualified  by  the  con- 
nection. It  was  not  intended  to  be  a 
grant  of  universal  dominion.  IF  As 
I  said  unto  Moses.  The  words  here 
used  are  a  literal  repetition  of  the 
promise  made  Deut.  11.  24.  Indeed, 
nearly  every  sentence  in  this  address 
to  Joshua,  occurs  somewhere  in  the 
course  of  the  foregoing  history,  espe- 
cially in  the  book  of  Deuteronomy. 

4.  Frovi  the  loilderness^  &c.  God 
here  proceeds,  in  very  brief  terms, 
to  mark  out  and  define  the  bounda- 
ries of  the  land  of  promise.  Its  ut- 
most limits  should  be  from  the  wil- 
derness of  Sin,  or  the  desert  of  Ara- 
bia Petrgea  on  the  South,  to  Lebanon 
on  the  North  ■;  and  from  the  Euphra- 
tes on  the  East,  to  the  great  sea,  or 
the  Mediterranean,  on  the  West. 
The  Israelites  did  not  indeed  possess 
the  full  extent  of  this  grant  till  the 
time  of  David,  but  their  failure  to  do 
so  was  owing  entirely  to  their  own 
remissness,  unbelief  and  disobedi- 
ence, as  was  every  reverse  with 
which  they  met  during  the  whole 
period  of  their  history.  They  were 
not  straitened  in  God,  but  in  them- 
selves ;  and  the  same  remark  holds 
good  with  regard  to  his  people  in  all 
ages.  IT  This  Lebanon.  Particu- 
larised in  this  manner,  because  it 
could  doubtless  be  seen  from  the  spot 
where  Joshua  now  stood,  rearing  its 
lofty  summits  towards  the  clouds  in 
the  northern  extremity  of  Canaan. 
For  an  account  of  this  well-known 
range  of  mountains,  any  of  the  vari- 
ous works  in  sacred  geography  may 
be  consulted.  See  also  '  Illustrations 
of  the  Scriptures,'  p.  103.  The  name 
'  Lebanon  '  comes  from  the  Heb.  root 
1^^  Ladan,  white,  from  its  summits' 


river,  the  river  Euphrates,  all  the 
land  of  the  Hittites,  and  unto  the 
great  sea  toward  the  going  down 
of  the  sun,  shall  be  your  coast. 


being  so  constantly  covered  with 
snow.  IT  All  the  land  of  the  Hittites. 
This  is  not  the  name  of  a  region  ly- 
ing loithoutthelimits  above  specified, 
or  of  a  country  promised  in  addition 
to  that  which  had  been  so  long  as- 
signed, in  the  divine  purpose,  to  Is- 
rael, but  it  was  one  of  the  seven  na- 
tions of  Canaan,  so  often  alluded  to 
in  the  books  of  Moses,  and  here 
probably  mentioned  by  synecdoche, 
a  figure  of  speech  by  which  a  part  is 
put  for  the  whole.  In  like  manner, 
in  other  instances,  the  nation  of  the 
Amorites  stands  for  the  whole  of 
the  Canaanitish  people.  As  a  rea- 
son for  the  particular  mention  of  the 
Hittites  here,  rather  than  any  other 
of  the  devoted  nations,  it  may  be  re- 
marked, that  it  appears  from  the  tran- 
saction of  Abraham  with  the  sons 
of  Heth,  or  the  Hittites,  (Gen.  23,) 
that  they  inhabited  the  southern  bor- 
ders of  the  land  about  the  region  of 
Beershebaand  Hebron,  where  subse- 
quently the  spies  saw  the  gigan- 
tic Anakims,  who  inspired  them 
with  so  much  terror.  It  was  natural, 
therefore,  that  they  should  regard 
these  people  as  the  most  formidable 
enemies  whom  they  would  be  likely 
to  encounter,  and  equally  natural 
that  God,  in  assuring  them  of  the 
complete  conquest  of  all  these  na- 
tions, should  specify  that  one  which 
more  than  all  others  they  dreaded. 
He  would  thus  banish  their  fears 
where  they  would  be  most  certain  to 
rise,  and  by  promising  them  a  vic- 
tory, where  they  might  apprehend  a 
defeat,  inspire  them  with  unwaver- 
ing confidence  of  success  in  contend- 
ing with  all  the  rest  of  their  enemies, 
[f  the  Goliath  of  the  Philistines'  camp 
be  overcome,  the  routing  of  the 
whole  host  beside  would  give  com- 
paratively little  trouble.  IT  The  great 
sea.  The  Mediterranean;  so  call- 
ed as  being  the  greatest  in  the  viciH" 


12 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


^  5  There  shall  not  any  man 
be  able  to  stand  before  thee  all 
the  days  of  thy  life  :  ^as  1  was 
with  Moses,  so   si  will  be  with 

e  Deut.  7.  24.    f  Ex.  3.  12.    g  Deut.  31.  8,  23.  t.  9, 
17.  ch.  3.  7.  &  6.  27.     Is.  43.  2,  5. 

ity  of  the  land  of  promise,  the  great- 
est with  which  the  Israelites  were 
acquainted,  and  especially  so  termed 
in  respect  to  the  smaller  seas  in  Ju- 
dea,  such  as  the  sea  of  Gennesaret 
or  Tiberias,  and  the  Dead  Sea,  which 
were  comparatively  mere  lakes.  The 
Hebrews,  however,  were  accustomed 
to  give  the  name  of  ^i  sea,  to  every 
large  collection  of  waters.  ^  Shall 
be  your  coast.  Your  border,  your 
boundary,  your  limits.  Such  is  the 
import  of  the  word  coast,  as  used  by 
some  of  the  early  English  winters. 
5.  Able  to  stand  before  thee.  Able 
to  resist  thee,  to  maintain  his  ground 
before  thee,  to  throw  any  effectual 
bar  in  the  way  of  thy  success.  He 
is,  however,  admonished  that  his 
sufficiency  was  not  of  himself.  It 
was  solely  in  consequence  of  God's 
being  with  him,  upholding  and  pros- 
pering him,  as  he  did  Moses,  that  he 
was  to  be  rendered  thus  invincible. 
Those  that  contended  with  him  were 
contending  with  omnipotence,  and 
in  this  unequal  contest  they  must 
necessarily  be  worsted.  '  If  God  be 
for  us,  who  can  be  against  us  V  What 
Joshua  had  himself,  on  another  occa- 
sion, said  to  encourage  the  people, 
Num.  14.  9,  God  now  says  to  him. 
This  signal  success,  moreover,  was 
not  only  to  mark  the  commencement 
of  his  enterprises,  but  to  attend  him 
throughout  his  whole  career.  How- 
ever it  might  be  with  Israel  when 
he  was  gone,  yet  during  his  life  time 
he  should  be  favored  with  a  con- 
stant tide  of  triumphs.  If  it  be  asked 
how  this  assurance  consists  with  the 
fact,  that  he  met  with  such  a  serious 
repulse  in  one  of  his  earliest  expe- 
ditions, and  that  so  many  thousands 
of  Israel  were  smitten  and  turned 
their  backs  before  the  men  of  Ai,  the 
answer  is,  that  they  failed  in  the  con^ 
ditions  on  which  the  promises  of  vie- 


thee  :  ''I  will  not  fail  thee,  nor 
forsake  thee. 

6    "Be  strong  and  of  a  good 
courage  :    for  unto  this  people 

h  Deut,  31.  6,  8.   Heb.  13.  5.    i  Deut  31.  7,  23. 


tory  were  suspended.  These  pro- 
mises were  not  absolute.  They 
were  made  with  a  proviso.  They 
were  to  be  fulfilled  on  condition  of 
the  implicit  faith  and  obedience  of 
the  people,  with  the  perfect  under- 
standing, at  the  same  time,  that 
God's  grace  was  sufficient  for  them, 
and  that  if  they  sought  him  sincere- 
ly, they  should  never  fail  to  receive 
an  adequate  measure  of  ability  to 
enable  them  to  comply  with  these 
conditions.  On  the  occasion  alluded 
to,  they  had  grossly  failed  in  duty,  they 
had  sinned  and  transgressed  the  cov- 
enant and  were  therefore  smitten  be- 
fore the  enemy,  '  because  they  were 
accursed,'  i.  e.  laboring  under  the  di- 
vine displeasure.  Josh.  7. 12.  IT  Iwill 
not  fail  thee  nor  forsake  thee.  The 
Heb.  term  for  '  fail '  properly  signi- 
fies to  let  sink,  to  let  groio  slack  and. 
fall  doion,  being  generally  spoken  of 
the  hands,  and  implying  a  loosing 
or  relaxing  of  one's  grasp,  and  the 
consequent  falling  down  of  the  hands, 
as  in  Josh.  10.  6,  '  Slack  not  thy  hands 
from  thy  servants.'  It  has  a  mean- 
ing directly  opposite  to  that  of  the 
word  for  laying  a  firm  hold,  taking 
a  vigorous  grasp,  of  any  thing.  The 
other  is  the  usual  word  for  leave,  for- 
sake, abandon.  The  sense  clearly  is, 
that  God  would  keep  firm  hold  of  his 
servant,  would  not  let  go  of  him, 
would  not  resign  him  up  to  the  power 
of  his  enemies.  Moses  had  before 
given  to  Joshua  the  same  assurance, 
couched  almost  in  the  express  words 
of  this  passage,  Deut.  31.  6 — 8;  and 
here  God  is  pleased,  in  accordance 
with  the  character  which  he  else- 
where gives  of  himself,  Is.  44.  26, 
to  '  confirm  the  word  of  his  servant,' 
and  engages  never  to  leave  or  be 
wanting  to  Joshua. 

6.  Be  strong  and  of  a  good  courage. 
These  terms,  though  nearly  related^ 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  I. 


13 


shalt  thou  divide  for  an  inherit- 

ance   the   land   which  I  sware 

unto  their  fathers  to  give  them. 

7  Only  be   thou  strong  and 


very  courageous,  that  thou  may- 
est  observe  to  do  according  to 
all  the  law  ''which  Moses  my 
servant  commanded  thee  :  iturn 

k  Num.  27.  23.   Deut.  31.  7.  ch.  U.  15.    1  Deut.  5. 
32.  &  28.  U. 


are  not  precisely  synonymous  with 
each  other.  Theyboth  occur,  though 
under  slightly  different  forms,  Is. 
35 — 3,  '  Strengthen  ye  the  weak 
hands  and  confirm  the  feeble  knees,' 
from  which,  andfrom other  passages, 
it  is  inferred  that  the  first, '  be  strong,' 
properly  implies  that  strength  which 
as  in  the  hands  for  gro.sping  and 
holding  firmly  any  thing,  while  the 
latter  points  primarily  to  the  strength 
of  the  knees  in  steadfastly  maintain- 
ing one's  position,  and  withstand- 
ing every  aggressive  assault  of  the 
€nemy.  From  this  view  of  the  pri- 
mary and  literal  acceptation  of  the 
words,  we  obtain  a  better  idea  of 
iheir  import  when  applied  metaphor- 
ically, as  here,  to  the  acts  of  the  mind. 
IT  Unto  this  people  shalt  thou  divide 
for  an  inheritance  the  land.  Heb. 
'  Thou  shalt  cause  this  people  to  in- 
herit the  land.'  "Which  supposes 
the  previous  entire  conquest  of  the 
land;  and  in  this  respect  a  higher 
degree  of  honor  was  vouchsafed  to 
Joshua  than  to  Moses,  for  he  was 
only  permitted  to  conduct  Israel 
through  the  wilderness,  and  bring 
them  to  the  borders  of  the  promised 
land,  while  Joshua  had  the  glory  of 
actually  taking  possession  of,  and 
distributing  the  land  to  his  people 
as  an  inheritance.  God  is  pleased, 
therefore,  to  make  known  to  him 
his  purposes  concerning  him,  as  a 
reason  for  his  assuming  all  that 
strength  and  courage  which  he  now 
enjoins,  upon  him. 

7.  07ily  be  thou  strong  and  very 
courageous,  that  thou  mayest  observe 
to  do,  &c.  As  Joshua  was  now  upon 
the  point  of  invading  a  country 
filled  with  formidable  enemies,  '  na- 
tions greater  and  mightier  than  he,' 
we  might  well  expect  him  to  receive 
a  charge  to  '  be  strong  and  very 
courageous,'  as  it  respected  the  ad- 
2* 


versaries  whom  he  was  about  to  en- 
counter.   But  it  is  remarkable  that 
his  enemies  are  here  left  compara- 
tively out  of  sight,  and  the  way  ia 
which  his  courage  and  fortitude  are 
mainly  to  be  exercised,  is,  in  adher-  ^ 
ing  with  inflexible  firmness  to  the 
law  of  God.    As  all  his  success,  how- 
ever, depended  entirely  upon  God, 
it  was  indispensably  requisite  that 
he  should  secure  the  divine  favor. 
This  he  could  only  do  by  a  rigid 
obedience  to  God's  commands ;  and 
such  an  obedience   would  require 
a  stronger  principle  of  courage  than 
the  most  formidable  enemies  would 
give  occasion  for.    From  which  we 
may  learn,  that  in  nothing  is  there 
more  scope  for  the  display  of  the  high- 
est moral  heroism,  than  in  daring,  in    \ 
all  circumstances,  to  cleave  stead- 
fastly to  the  word  of  God  as  the  rule 
of  our  conduct.    It  is  in  this  way 
chiefly  that  the  fortitude  of  a  Chris- 
tian soldier  is  to  evince  itself.    He 
is  to  contend  with  the  enemies  of  his 
salvation,  in  obedience  to  the  laws  of 
God.     As  the  soldier  of  an  earthly 
leader  is  to  act  in  all  things  accord- 
ing to  certain  rules,  laid  down  in  a 
code  drawn  up  for  the  purpose,  so  the 
Christian  soldier  has  his  code  drawn 
up  for  him  by  God  himself,  and  re- 
vealed to  him  in  the  oracles  of  truth. 
This  code  he  is  to  study  with  all  dili- 
gence, and  meditate  on  it  day  and 
night,  that  he  may  conform  himself 
to  it  in  every  particular,  and  never 
turn  aside  to  the  right  hand  or  the 
left.    However  difiicult  or  self-de- 
nying its  injunctions,  he  must  obey 
it,  and  so  sacred  must  it  be  in  his 
eyes,  that  he  will  rather  die  than  de- 
part from  it.    This  will  require  all 
the  courage  that  any  man  can  pos- 
sess.     IT   Which  Moses  my  servant 
commanded    thee.     The    particular 
commands  of  Moses  here  referred 


u 


^iomvA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


if 


not  from  it  to  the  right  hand 
or  to  the  left,  that  thou  mayest 
prosper  withersoever  thou  goest. 


to,  are  to  be  found  in  Deut.  5.  32. 
28.  14,  and  31.  7,  8;  and  though 
originally  delivered  to  all  the  con- 
gregation, yet  here  they  are  espe- 
cially applied  to  Joshua,  who,  as 
leader,  stood  as  the  representative 
of  the  whole  collective  body  of  the 
people.  IT  Turn  not  from  it,  to  the  right 
hand  or  to  the  left.  Heb.,  '  Turn  not 
from  him,'  i.  e.  from  Moses ;  where 
his  person  stands  for  his  writings. 
So  our  Saviour  says,  '  If  they  hear 
not  Moses  and  the  prophets,'  i.  e.  the 
words  of  Moses. — The  metaphor  is 
taken  from  a  man's  pursuing  a  jour- 
ney, who  goes  straight  forward  in 
the  direct  road,  if  he  knows  it,  with- 
out turning  aside  into  by-paths  that 
lead  he  knows  not  whither.  IT  That 
thoaimaijest prosper .  Or,  Heb., '  may- 
est do  wisely,  mayest  deal  or  behave 
xmderstandingly,'  The  primary  and 
most  usual  sense  of  the  original  is, 
to  direct  one's  self  wisely,  to  act  with 
prudence  and  discretion,  to  be  wise, 
intelligent,  and  thence  secondarily, 
to  prosper,  to  have  good  success. 
These  two  senses  of  the  word  are  so 
intimately  connected,  that  it  is  often 
difficult  to  determine  precisely  which 
of  them  is  intended  in  a  given  pas- 
sage. This  very  uncertainty,  how- 
ever, proves  it  to  be  clearly  intima- 
ted, in  the  native  import  of  the  term, 
that  real  prosperity  and  success  in  the 
affairs  of  life,  is  the  result  of  a  wise, 
discreet,  and  prudent  course  of  con- 
duct, and  inseparable  from  it,  and 
that  it  is  vain  to  look  for  it  from  any 
other  source.  Those  only  can  rea- 
sonably expect  the  blessing  of  God 
upon  their  temporal  affairs,  who 
make  his  word  their  rule,  and  con- 
scientiously walk  by  it  in  all  circum- 
stances ;  and  this  is  the  way  of  true 
wisdom. 

8.  This  book  of  the  law.  That  is 
by  way  of  emphasis  '  the  book  of  the 
law,'  the  law  of  Moses,  to  which,  as 
ie  well  knew,  God  attached  the  ut- 1 


8  ™This  book  of  the  law  shall 
not  depart  out  of  thy  mouth ; 
but  "thou  shalt  meditate  therein 

m  Deut.  17.  IS,  19.     n  Ps.  1.  2. 


most  importance,  and  of  which  he 
speaks  as  if  it  were  at  that  moment 
in  Joshua's  hand,  or  at  his  side,  as  it 
continually  ought  to  be.    IT   Shall 
not  depart  out  of  thy  mouth.    Thou 
shalt  constantly  read  and  ponder  it,  \  >' 
it  shall  incessantly  employ  thy  lipsi;'^\ 
thou  shalt  have  thy  heart  so  constant-  '     \ 
ly  imbued  with  its  letter  and  spirit, 
that  thy  mouth  shall,  as  it  were, 
overflow  with  its  rich  contents,  as 
'  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart 
the    mouth  speaketh.'    The   same 
phrase  occurs  but  once  elswhere  in 
the  Scriptures,  Is.  59.  21,  '  As  for 
me,  this  is  my  covenant  with  them, 
saith  the  Lord.    My  spirit  that  is 
upon  thee  and  my  words  which  I 
have  put  in  thy  mouth,  shall  not  de- 
part out  of  thy  mouth,  nor  out  of  the 
mouth  of  thy  seed,  nor  out  of  the 
mouth  of  thy  seed's  seed,  saith  the 
Lord,  from  henceforth  and  forever  j* 
where  it  is  implied  that  the  cove- 
nant promise  should  be  deemed  sa 
precious,  that  it  should  be  a  perpet- 
ual theme  of  meditation  and  dis- 
course,   that   it   should    constantly 
dwell  on  the  tongues  of  those  in- 
terested in  it.  It  is  moreover  implied, 
in  this  charge  to  Joshua,  that  he  was 
not  only  to  make  the  book  of  the 
law  the  subject  of  assiduous  study 
for  his  own  personal  benefit,  but  al- 
so to  make  it  the  sole  rule  and  stan- 
dard of  all  his  public  and  official  pro- 
ceedings; he  was  to  issue  orders  and 
pronounce  judgements  according  to 
its  precepts,  and  that  too  without 
exception  or  reserve — he  must  'do 
according  to  aU  that  is  written  there- 
in.'   Though  appointed  to  the  rank 
of  supreme  head  and  magistrate  of 
the  nation,  he  was  not  to  consider 
himself  elevated  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree above  the  authority  of  the  di- 
vine law,  or  the  necessity  of  con- 
sulting it ;  nor  should  any  Christian 
magistrate  at  this  day  consider  him- 
self at  liberty  to  dispense  with  the 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  I. 


15 


day  and  night,  that  thou  may- 
est  observe  to  do  according  to 
all  that  is  written  therein  :  for 
then  thou  shalt  make  thy  way 
prosperous,  and  then  thou  shalt 
have  good  success. 


light  which  beams  from  the  word  of 
God,  in  regard  to  the  great  matters  of 
his  duty.  The  higher  any  man  is 
raised  in  office,  the  more  need  has 
he  of  an  acquaintance  with  the  sa- 
cred oracles,  and  the  better  will  he 
be  qualified  by  the  study  of  them  for 
the  discharge  of  his  arduous  duties. 
IT  Thou  shalt  meditate  therein  day 
und  night.  This  is  the  character  of 
the  good  man  as  described  by  the 
Psalmist,  Ps.  1.  2,  in  words  which 
are  almost  an  exact  transcript  of  those 
here  employed.  The  Heb.  term  for 
'  meditate,'  implies  that  kind  of  men- 
tal rumination  which  is  apt  to  vent 
itself  in  an  audible  sound  of  the  voice. 
See  Comment,  on  Ps.  1.2.  IT  Make 
thy  way  prosperous  —  have  good 
success.  Two  different  words  are 
here  employed,  the  latter  of  which  is 
the  same  with  that  remarked  upon 
above,  v.  7,  and  which  should  proba- 
bly be  rendered  here  also,  '  do  wise- 
ly,' '  conduct  understandingly,'  as 
otherwise  it  is  little,  if  any  thing, 
more  than  a  bare  repetition  of  the 
preceding  phrase. 

9.  Have  not  I  commanded  thee  7  I, 
whose  authority  is  paramoimt, 
whose  power  is  infinite,  who  am  able 
to  carry  thee  through  all  difficulties 
and  dangers,  and  whom  thou  art 
hound  implicitly  to  obey.  So  in  the 
Christian  warfare,  it  is  the  God  of 
heaven  whose  battles  we  fight,  and 
in  whose  service  we  are  engaged. 
Were  it  only  an  earthly  monarch  to 
whom  we  had  devoted  ourselves,  we 
ought  to  serve  him  with  all  fidelity : 
what  then  should  we  not  do  for  the 
King  of  kings,  who  has  not  only 
chosen  us  to  be  his  soldiers,  but  has 
himself  taken  the  field  for  our  sakes, 
to  subdue  our  enemies,  and  to  de- 
liver us  from  their  assaults'? — It 
should  be  remarked,  that  the  interro- 


9  °Have  not  I  commanded 
thee  ?  Be  strong  and  of  a  good 
courage  ;  pbe  not  afraid,  neither 
be  thou  dismayed  :  for  the  Lord 
thy  God  is  with  thee  whither- 
soever thou  goest. 

o  Deut.  31.  7,  8,  23.    p  Ps.  27.  1.   Jer.  1.  8. 

gative  form  of  speech  is  often  used, 
not  as  implying  any  thing  doubtful, 
but  as  the  most  emphatic  mode  of  ex- 
pressing either  a  negative  or  affirm- 
ation, particularly  when  the  speak- 
er wishes  to  rouse  and  excite  strong- 
ly the  attention  of  the  hearer.  In- 
stances are  innumerable.  '{I  The  Lord 
thy  God  is  with  thee.  Here  is  some- 
what of  a  remarkable  change  in  the 
persons,  from  the  first  to  the  third, 
but  whether  with  any  peculiar  sig- 
nificancy  it  is  not  easy  to  determine. 
The  Chaldee  renders  it  in  reference 
to  the  Son,  '  The  Word  of  the  Lord 
thy  God  shall  be  with  thee.'  Con- 
sidered as  a  pledge  of  the  presence 
and  support  of  the  God  of  heaven 
with  all  his  faithful  people,  in  their 
trials  and  conflicts,  the  promise  is 
full  of  precious  meaning.  He  says 
to  us,  in  efl!ect,  what  he  says  to 
Joshua;  and  what  encouragement 
can  we  desire  more  1  Imagine  a  sol- 
dier with  his  commander  in  chief 
always  at  his  side,  cheering  and  en- 
couraging him,  and  how  naturally 
would  he  thereby  be  stirred  up  to 
deeds  of  valor  which  he  would  not 
otherwise  be  able  to  exhibit  1  Let  us 
knew  then  as  believers  that  God  is 
ever  with  us,  and  with  us,  not  only 
as  a  witness,  but  as  a  helper,  to 
strengthen  us,  to  uphold  us,  and  to 
fight  our  battles  for  us.  If,  however, 
we  would  secure  this  blessing,  let  us 
give  heed  that  our  courage  and  for- 
titude be  of  the  right  kind.  There  is 
an  unhallowedboldness  which  savors 
of  pride  and  vain  glory.  Against 
this  we  cannot  be  too  much  on  our 
guard.  In  doing  valiantly  for  God, 
we  must  not  forget  the  laws  of  meek- 
ness. But  if  we  fight  in  dependence 
on  the  Lord's  strength,  and  in  con- 
formity to  his  commands,  we  need 
not  doubt  of  final  victory. 


16 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


10  IT  Then  Joshua  command- 
ed the  officers  of  the  people 
saying, 

11  Pass  through  the  host  and 
command  the  people,  saying, 
Prepare  you  victuals  ;  for  "J with- 
in three  days  ye  shall  pass  over 

q  ch.  3.  2.  See  Deut.  9. 1.  &  11.  31. 


10,  Commanded  the  officers  of  the 
people.  Heb.  Q^n^t::!?  Shoterim. 
These  were  under-ofRcers,  subordi- 
nate to  the  QitSBD  Shophetim  or  jud- 
ges, whose  duty  it  was  to  see  to  the 
execution  of  the  orders  of  the  heads 
of  the  people,  whether  Moses,  Joshua, 
or  his  successors  the  Judges.  Deut. 
16.  18.  20.  5—9.  The  original  is 
usually  rendered  ypaixnareig,  scribes, 
in  the  Gr.  version. 

11.  Prepare  you  victuals.  Heb. 
f1*l22  Tsedah,  prey,  including  perhaps 
manna,  but  implying  more  particu- 
larly such  other  kinds  of  provisions 
as  they  had  obtained  in  the  conquered 
countries,  as  corn,  oxen,  sheep,  &c. 
as  the  word  properly  signifies  what 
is  taken  in  hunting.  Although  the 
manna  was  their  main  dependence 
during  their  sojourn  in  the  wilder- 
ness, yet  they  do  not  appear  to  have 
been  forbidden  to  supply  themselves 
with  other  kinds  of  food  when  they 
had  an  opportunity,  Deut.  2.  6,  28; 
and  at  this  time,  when  they  had  come 
into  a  land  inhabited,  where  they 
could  procure  such  provisions,  it  is 
probable  that  the  manna  did  not  fall 
so  plentifully,  or  they  did  not  gather 
so  much  as  previously,  so  that  they 
■were  now  commanded  to  lay  in  a 
store  of  other  eatables  to  supply  the 
deficiency.  Certain  it  is,  however, 
that  the  manna  did  not  entirely  cease 
falling  till  they  had  entered  the  land 
of  Canaan,  and  eaten  of  the  old  corn 

.of  the  land,  ch.  5.  12.  IT  Within 
three  days.  Or,  Heb.  '  for  yet  three 
days.'  The  probability  is,  that  the 
passage  over  the  Jordan  was  not 
made  iiWafter  the  lapse  of  three  days, 
and  that  it  took  pla«e  on  the  fourth  : 
the  three  days,  therefore,  here  men 


this  Jordan,  to  go  in  to  possess 
the  land  which  the  Lord  your 
God  giveth  you  to  possess  it. 

12  U  And  to  the  Reubenites, 
and  to  the  Gadites,  and  to  half 
the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  spake 
Joshua,  saying, 


of  that  on  which  the  proclamation 
was  made,  ch.  2. 22 ;  3. 1.  Or,  as  the 
original  for  '  shall  pass,'  is  literally 
'  shall  be  passing,'  it  may  mean 
simply,  that  within  the  space  of  three 
days  they  should  have  brokenup  from 
their  present  encampment,  and  com- 
menced their  march,  although  the 
actual  passage  of  the  Jordan  may 
not  have  occurred  till  a  day  or  two 
afterwards.  The  confidence  with 
which  Joshua  speaks  of  the  event, 
shows  the  undoubting  character  of 
his  own  faith  in  the  promise  of  God. 
IT  Which  the  Lord  your  God  giveth 
you.  Heb.  '  is  giving,'  i.  e.  is  even 
now  in  the  act  of  giving.  It  would 
tend  greatly  to  animate  the  faith  and 
zeal  of  the  people,  and  to  secure 
their  vigorous  cooperation,  to  see 
God,  as  it  were,  girding  himself  to 
the  work,  and  actually  putting  forth 
his  power  in  the  execution  of  his 
promises.  It  would  not  do  for  them 
to  be  remiss  when  omnipotence  was 
visibly  engaged  in  their  behalf. 
This  language  M^ould  teach  them  too 
that  the  result  was  not  to  be  brought 
about  by  their  own  strength,  and,  con- 
sequently, that  they  could  not  take 
the  glory  of  it  to  themselves.  ^  To 
possess  it.  Heb.,  '  to  inherit  it, '  i.  e. 
not  merely  to  occupy  it,  but  so  to  hold 
it  that  it  should  be  transmitted  dowa 
as  a  hereditary  possession  to  their 
children  after  them. 

12.  To  the  Reubenites  and  ta  the 
Gadites.  Heb.  '  to  the  Reubenite  and 
to  theGadite,'  the  collective  singular 
for  the  plural,  a  very  common  idiom 
of  the  original ,  particularly  in  speak- 
ing of  tribes  and  nations;  as  if  the 
whole  body,  from  their  intimate 
union,  were  regarded  as  one  per- 
son. 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  I. 


17 


13  Remember  nhe  word  which 
Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord 
commanded  you,  saying,  The 
Lord  your  God  hath  given  you 
rest,  and  hath  given  you  this 
land. 

14  Your  wives,  your  little 
ones,  and  your  cattle  shall  re- 

r  Ninn.  32.  20—28.  ch.  22.  2,  3,  4. 


IT  Remember  the  word  which  Mo- 
ses, &c.  This  engagement  on  the 
part  of  the  two  tribes  and  a  half,  is 
detailed  with  all  the  circumstances 
attending  it,  Num.  32. 1—42 ;  and  it 
was  proper  here  to  remind  them 
of  it,  as,  otherwise,  having  arrived  at 
the  place  of  their  settlement,  they 
might  be  induced  to  seek  their  own 
ease,  by  remaining  with  their  wives 
and  families  in  the  rich  and  fertile 
region  of  which  they  had  come  into 
possession.  If  The  Lord  your  God 
hath  given  you  rest.  Rather,  accord- 
ing to  the  Heb.,  '  The  Lord  is  giv- 
ing you  rest,  and  hath  given  you  this 
land.'  These  precise  words  do  not 
occur  in  the  address  of  Moses  to  the 
two  tribes  and  a  half,  but  the  sense 
of  them  does,  and  Joshua  intended, 
doubtless,  merely  to  quote  the  sub- 
stance of  what  Moses  said.  The 
phrase,  *  giving  you  rest,'  perhaps 
merely  implies  that  they  were  now 
brought  to  a  place  of  rest,  rather  than 
a  positive  state  of  rest,  which  they 
could  hardly  be  said  to  enjoy  till  they 
had  subdued  their  enemies.  They 
were  at  rest,  however,  in  contradis- 
tinction from  journeying,  and  in  this 
sense  the  original  word  is  often  em- 
ployed. 

14.  Ye  shall  pass  before  your  breth- 
ren. That  is,  as  the  original  implies, 
ye  shall  pass  or  cross  over  before,  or 
in  the  presence  of,  your  brethren.  It 
does  not  appear  to  signify  that  they 
should  take  the  front  rank  or  lead 
the  van,  for  such  an  intimation  re- 
specting them  is  no  where  else  clear- 
ly given ;  but  simply  that  they  should 
not  absent  themselves,  that  they 
should  be  present  with  their  breth- 
ren, united  with  them  in  the  expe- 


main  in  the  land  which  Moses 
gave  you  on  this  side  Jordan ; 
but  ye  shall  pass  before  your 
brethren  armed,  all  the  mighty 
men  of  valor,  and  help  them  ; 

15  Until  the  Lord  have  given 
your  brethren  rest,  as  he  hath 
given  you,  and  they  also  have 


dition.  The  Heb.  phrase  is  often 
used  in  this  sense.  IT  Armed.  Heb. 
'  marshalled  by  five.'  Of  the  import 
of  this  expression,  see  Note  on  Ex. 
13.  18,  where  it  is  rendered  harnes- 
sed. IT  All  the  mighty  men  of  valor. 
Not  absolutely  all  the  fighting  men 
of  these  tribes,  but  the  choice  of 
them,  the  most  active,  bold  and  ener- 
getic ;  for  as  there  were  only  forty 
thousand  of  them  that  passed  over, 
ch.  4.  13,  while  the  whole  number 
of  warriors  was  far  greater,  Num. 
26,  it  is  evident  that  a  large  body  of 
them  must  have  remained  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Jordan,  to  take  care 
of  the  women,  children,  ^and  flocks. 
Probably  as  many  at  least  as  seventy 
thousand,  as  the  sum  total  of  the  men 
in  those  tribes  able  to  bear  arms  was 
upwards  of  one  hundred  and  ten 
thousand.    See  Num.  26.  7,  18,  37. 

15.  Until  the  Lord  have  given  your 
brethren  rest,  as  he  hath  given  you. 
That  is,  until  he  hath  brought  them 
to  their  place  of  rest ;  for  it  could  not 
strictly  be  said  of  either  company, 
that  the  Lord  had  given  them  rest, 
imtil  they  had  so  far  conquered 
their  enemies  as  to  be  in  no  dan- 
ger of  being  henceforth  seriously 
molested  by  them.  But  that  was,  at 
this  time,  by  no  means  the  case  with 
the  two  tribes  and  a  half,  nor  have 
we  reason  to  suppose,  in  respect  ta 
the  others,  that  the  mere  putting  them 
in  possession  of  the  promised  terri- 
tory would  be  '  giving  them  rest,'  as 
long  as  their  enemies  remained  in 
great  numbers  unsubdued.  We  are 
led  therefore  to  understand  from  this 
expression,  simply  the  bringing  them 
to,orplantingthemin,  a  place  of  rest. 
The  actual  enjoyment  of  the  rest 


IS 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


possessed  the  land  which  the 
Lord  your  God  giveth  them : 
"then  ye  shall  return  unto  the 
land  of  your  possession,  and  en- 
joy it,  which  Moses  the  Lord's 
servant  gave  you  on  this  side 
Jordan  toward  the  sun-rising. 
16  IT  And  they  answered 
Joshua  saying,  All  that  thou 
commandest  us,  we  will  do,  and 


was  a  matter  of  subsequent  favor. 
IT  Toward  the  sun  rising.  That  is, 
the  East,  as,  toward  the  going  down 
of  the  sun,  signifies  the  West. 

16.  And  they  answered  Joshua. 
This,  as  some  conceive,  was  not 
the  answer  of  the  two  tribes  and 
a  half  only,  but  the  response  of 
the  whole  host,  who  thus  concur- 
red heartily  with  them  in  their 
solemn  engagements.  It  is  not  un- 
likely that  such  were  the  real  sen- 
timents of  the  entire  congregation ; 
but  it  seems  more  natural,  from  the 
connection,  to  understand  it  of  those 
who  were  directly  addressed.  They 
afterwards  received  the  testimony  of 
Joshua,  as  having  fully  complied 
with  ah  their  stipulations,  ch.  22. 
2 — 4.  IF  All  that  thou  commandest 
us  we  will  do,  &c.  Thus  are  we  re- 
quired to  swear  allegiance  to  Christ, 
the  Captain  of  our  salvation,  the 
christian's  Joshua,  and  to  bind  our- 
selves to  do  what  he  commands  us 
by  his  word,  and  to  go  wheresoever 
he  sends  us  by  his  providence. 

17.  According  as  we  hearkened  un- 
to Moses,  &c.  As  we  obeyed  Moses. 
Nothing  is  more  common  than  this 
sense  of  the  word  '  hearken'  in  the 
sacred  writers.  If  it  be  asked,  how 
this  language  is  to  be  reconciled 
with  the  declaration  of  Moses  him- 
self in  regard  to  their  conduct  under 
him,  Deut,  9.  24,  *  Ye  have  been  re- 
bellious against  the  Lord  from  the 
day  that  I  knew  you,'  we  answer, 
that  neither  the  words  of  Moses,  nor 
of  the  people,  are  to  be  understood 
as   holding   good  universally,  and 


whithersoever  thou  sendest  us, 
we  will  go. 

17  According  as  we  heark- 
ened unto  Moses  in  all  things,      .^ 
so  will  we  hearken  unto  thee :       | 
only  the  Lord  thy  God  the  with 
thee,  as  he  was  with  Moses. 

18  Whosoever  he  be  that 
doth  rebel  against  thy  com- 
mandment, and  will  not  hearken 

t  ver.  5.  1  Sam.  20.  13.   1  Kings  1.  37. 


without  any  exception.  They  were 
sometimes  rebellious,  and  sometimes 
obedient.  What  they  mean  is,  that 
they  would  be  as  obedient  to  Joshua 
as  they  ever  were  to  Moses,  when 
they  did  obey  him,  when  they  were 
in  their  best  moods  ;  as  obedient,  in 
fact,  as  they  should  have  been  to  Moses, 
and  as  many  of  them  generally  were. 
The  literal  rendering  of  the  original 
is,  '  According  to  all  (in)  which  we 
hearkened  to  Moses,  so  will  we  hear- 
ken to  thee.'  This  perhaps  limits 
the  point  of  comparison  to  those 
cases  in  which  they  were  actually 
obedient,  and  excludes  those  in  which 
they  rebelled.  IT  Only  the  Lord  thy 
God  be  loith  thee,  &c.  This  is  not  to 
be  understood  as  a  condition,  or  limi- 
tation of  their  promised  obedience, 
as  if  they  should  say,  '  We  will  obey 
thee  as  far  as  we  perceive  the  Lord 
is  with  thee,  but  no  farther,'  but  ra- 
ther as  an  earnest  prayer  in  behalf 
of  Joshua,  that  he  might  constantly 
enjoy  the  divine  guidance,  protec- 
tion, and  blessing ;  q.  d.  '  Do  not 
fear  for  us.  Be  assured  of  our  con- 
stant obedience.  Be  solicitous  main- 
ly for  thyself  This  is  the  matter  of 
our  anxiety,  that  the  Lord  would  be 
with  thee,  and  prosper  thee  in  all 
things.'  To  pray  feryently  for  those 
in  authority  over  us,  is  the  surest 
way  to  render  them  blessings  to  us 
and  to  the  communities  in  which  we 
live. 

18.  Rebel  against  thy  command- 
ment. Heb.  '  rebel  (against)  thy 
mouth,'  i,  e.  the  word  or  command- 
ment of  thy  mouth.    Perhaps  in  this 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  II. 


It 


unto  thy  words  in  all  that  thou 
commandest  him,  he  shall  be 
put  to  death  :  only  be  strong 
and  of  a  good  courage. 


they  had  an  eye  to  what  Moses  had 
said  respecting  the  Lord's  raising 
up  a  prophet  like  unto  himself,  and 
to  whose  words  they  were  to  heark- 
en under  the  severest  penalty,  Deut. 
18.  18,  19.  They  might  have  sup- 
posed this  prediction  to  be  fulfilled 
in  the  appointment  of  Joshua  as 
Moses'  successor,  without  knowing, 
at  the  same  time,  but  that  it  might 
still  have  an  ulterior  fulfilment  at 
some  subsequent  period  in  a  yet 
more  illustrious  personage. 

CHAPTER.  II. 

I.  Joshua  sent  tioo  men  to  spy 
secretly.  Or,  Heb. '  had  sent.'  This 
sending  forth  of  the  spies  had  very 
probably  taken  place  sometime  pre- 
vious to  the  order  mentioned  above, 
ch.  1.  10,  at  which  time  it  is  not  un- 
likely they  had  returned  and  made 
their  report  to  Joshua.  The  order 
of  events  in  the  sacred  history  can- 
not always  be  determined  by  the  or- 
der of  narration.  Continual  trans- 
positions of  this  kind  are  to  be  met 
with  in  every  part  of  the  Scriptures. — 
Moses  sent  out  twelve  spies,  because 
the  whole  land  of  Canaan  was  to  be 
explored;  Joshua  dispatched  but 
two,  as  he  only  sought  for  informa- 
tion respecting  the  posture  of  the  city 
of  Jericho  and  its  immediate  vicinity. 
— Although  an  express  assurance  had 
been  given  to  Joshua,  that  every  place 
-on  which  the  sole  of  his  foot  should 
tread  should  come  into  his  posses- 
sion, and  that  no  man  should  be  able 
to  stand  before  him,  yet  as  every  pru- 
dent general  endeavors  to  obtain  in- 
formation respecting  the  state  of  any 
fortified  city  which  he  is  about  to  be- 
siege, before  he  proceeds  actually  to 
invest  it;  so  he  felt  it  his  duty  to 
send  spies  to  asertain  the  state  of  Jer- 
icho, before  he  passed  over  Jordan 
to  attack  it.  God  is  pleased  to  ac- 
complish his  promises  by  the  use  of 


CHAPTER  n. 

A  ND  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun 

"^   sent    "^out    of  Shittim  two 

men  to  spy  secretly,  saying,  Go 


means  ;  to  neglect  the  means,  there- 
fore, is  to  tempt  him,  rather  than  to 
trust  in  him ;  and  to  expect  the  end 
without  using  the  means,  is  not  faith, 
but  presumption.  IF  Out  of  Shit- 
tim. Called  elsewhere  Abel-Shit- 
tim,  unless  the  latter  were  the  name 
of  the  adjoining  valley.  The  city 
of  Shittim  was  situated  from  eight 
to  eleven  miles  east  of  the  Jordan, 
in  the  plains  of  Moab,  and  within 
the  boundaries  assigned  to  the  tribe 
of  Reuben.  It  is  supposed  to  have 
been  so  named  fronrtfre  great  quan- 
tity of  trees,  called  Shittim-wood, 
which  grew  in  its  vicinity.  IT  To 
spy  secretly.  Heb.  '  silently '.  But 
whether  this  word  has  reference  to 
the  manner  of  their  being  sent,  viz, 
in  a  secret,  silent  way,  without  the 
privity  of  the  people,  or  to  the  mode 
of  discharging  their  duty,  noiselessly, 
stealthily,  it  is  difiicult  to  determine. 
From  the  relative  position  of  the 
words  the  latter  seems  the  most  pro- 
bable. U  Vie%o  the  land,  even  Jeri- 
cho. Explore  the  land  or  country 
about  Jericho,  but  more  especially 
the  city  itself.  #They  were  to  ob- 
serve its  site,  its  various  localities,  its 
avenues  of  approach,  its  fortifica- 
tions, the  state  of  its  population, 
every  thing,  in  fine,  which  would  be 
of  service  to  them  in  concerting  the 
best  mode  of  attack.  This  city  is  sup- 
posed to  have  derived  its  name  either 
from  the  form  of  the  plain  on  which 
it  stood,  resembling  a  Tiew  moon, 
or  from  the  sweet  smell  of  the  balsam 
or  palm  trees,  which  abounded  there 
in  great  profusion,  Deut.  34.  3 ;  Judg. 
1.  16.  It  seems  not  to  have  been 
situated  immediately  upon  the  river, 
but  at  the  distance  of  six  or  eight 
miles.  The  modern  Jericho,  now 
called  Rihhah,  is  a  miserable  village 
of  about  fifty  dwellings ;  but,  accord- 
ing to  Buckingham,  it  does  not  oc- 
cupy the  site  of  the  ancient  city. 


80 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


view  the    land,   even  Jericho. 
And  they  went,  and  ''came  into 

b   Heb.  II.  31.   James  2,  25. 


The  latter,  according  fo  him,  was 
situated  four  miles  nearer  Jerusalem, 
at  the  very  foot  of  the  mountains, 
where  he  noticed  the  ruins  of  a  place 
of  consequence.  The  plain  of  Jeri- 
cho extends  from  the  mountains, 
where  the  ruins  of  the  old  city  are  to 
be  found,  eastward  towards  Jordan, 
and  is  nearly  inclosed  on  all  sides 
by  these  or  similar  mountains. 
IT  Arid  came  into  a  harlot's  house. 
The  character  of  this  woman  has 
been  a  much  disputed  point  among 
commentators.  As  she  is  commend- 
ed by  the  Apostle  for  her  faith,  Heb. 
11,  31,  and  by  her  marriage  with 
Salmon,  Matt.  1.  5,  subsequently 
came  into  the  line  of  our  Lord's  pro- 
genitors, great  anxiety  has  been 
evinced  to  clear  her  reputation,  if 
possible,  from  the  reproach  of  an  in- 
famous course  of  life.  On  this  ac- 
count, great  pains  have  been  taken 
to  show  that  the  original  term  may 
be  properly  rendered  '  hostess,'  and 
so  does  not  necessarily  convey  the 
idea  attached  to  the  English  word 
'  harlot.'  But  it  is  beyond  all  ques- 
tion, that  the  legitimate  and  uniform 
signification  of  the  Heb.  term  is  that 
of  a  '  harlot,'  either  literal  or  spiri- 
tual. Judg.  11.  1.  1  Kings  3.  16. 
Ezek.  23.  44.  So  also  the  word  is 
rendered  in  the  Sept.  and  this  ren- 
dering is  adopted  by  two  apostles, 
Heb.  11.  31.  James  2.  25;  though 
we  do  not  consider  the  latter  circum- 
stance by  any  means  decisive  as  to 
the  genuine  import  of  the  original ; 
for  as  the  Sept.  was  the  translation 
at  this  time  in  common  use,  they 
adopted  the  expression  as  they  found 
it,  without  claiming  thereby  to  settle 
its  propriety  as  a  version  of  the  ori- 
ginal. It  is  moreover  to  be  remem- 
bered, that  Rahab  lived  in  the  midst 
of  a  people,  corrupt,  abandoned  and 
profligate  to  the  last  degree.  Vices 
of  the  most  enormous  and  de- 
basing character  were  practised 
without  reserve,  and  received  the 


a  harlot's  house,  named  <=Rahab, 


and  lodged  there. 


sanction  of  every  class  of  people. 
From  repeated  intimations  in  regaf3 
to  the  devoted  nations,  it  appears 
that  the  divine  judgments  were 
kindled  against  them  more  on  ac- 
count of  the  abominations  of  their 
lewdness  than  any  thing  else,  as  had 
been  the  case  with  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah of  old.  As  these  sins  per- 
vaded all  ranks,  they  would  cease  to 
be  regarded  as  infamous,  and  the 
term  applied  to  Rahab  does  not  per- 
haps indicate  a  character  degraded 
much  below  the  ordinary  standard. 
Suppose  her,  however,  to  have  been  a 
harlot  in  the  worst  sense  of  the  word, 
the  licentiousness  of  her  life,  besides 
being  the  natural  product  of  the 
universal  laxity  of  moral  sentiment 
on  the  subject,  may  have  been  pro- 
moted by  the  false  religion  in  which 
she  was  educated.  All  this  is  said, 
not  to  excuse  or  justify  her  iniqui- 
tous conduct,  but  to  make  it  less  sur- 
prising that  the  spies  should  have 
fallen  in  with  a  person  of  her  cha- 
racter, and  been  entertained  by  her. 
As  to  her  being  a  hostess,  or  keeping 
an  inn,  there  is  not  a  particle  of  evi- 
dence from  the  original  that  such 
was  the  case,  nor  have  we  any  rea- 
son to  suppose,  from  the  known  cus- 
toms of  oriental  nations,  that  any 
such  establishments  as  houses  of 
public  entertainment,  in  our  accepta- 
tion of  the  phrase,  existed  among 
them.  Caravanserais  or  khans  are 
indeed  found  in  most  parts  of  the 
East,  but  they  are  very  different  from 
public  houses,  taverns,  or  hotels  with 
us.  These  are  the  result  of  a  much 
more  advanced  state  of  society  than 
has  ever  prevailed  in  the  East.  The 
following  discription  from  Volney, 
will  give  the  reader  somewhat  of  a 
correct  idea  of  oriental  accommoda- 
tions of  this  nature.  '  There  are  no 
i7ins  any  where ;  but  the  cities,  and 
commonly  the  villages,  have  a  large 
building,  called  a  khan  or  caravan- 
seraif  which  serves  as  an  asylum 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  II. 


31 


2  And  ''it  was  told  the  king 
of  Jericho,  saying,  Behold,  there 
came  men  in  hither  to-night  of 
the  children  of  Israel,  to  search 
out  the  country. 

3  And  the   king   of  Jericho 


for  all  travellers.  These  houses  of 
reception  are  always  built  without 
the  precincts  of  towns,  and  consist 
of  four  wings  round  a  square  court, 
which  serves  by  way  of  inclosure 
for  the  beasts  of  burden.  The  lodg- 
ings are  cells,  where  you  find  no- 
thing but  bare  walls,  dust,  and  some- 
times scorpions.  The  keeper  of  this 
khan  gives  the  traveler  the  key  and 
a  mat ;  and  he  provides  himself  the 
rest.  He  must  therefore  carry  with 
him  his  bed,  his  kitchen  utensils, 
and  even  his  provisions ;  for  fre- 
quently not  even  bread  is  to  be  found 
in  the  villages.'  That  Rahab  had 
charge  of  such  an  establishment  is 
in  the  highest  degree  improbable. 
Far  more  likely  is  it  that  she  was,  or 
had  been,  a  woman  of  loose  morals, 
living  in  a  private  station,  and  that 
the  spies  came  to  her  house,  moved 
doubtless  by  a  secret  impulse  from 
above,  because  from  its  appearance, 
locality,  or  other  causes,  which  we 
cannot  now  ascertain,  it  seemed  to 
them  a  stopping  place  best  suited  to 
the  purpose  in  which  they  were  now 
engaged ;  and  in  countries  but  little 
civilized,  there  is  never  much  cere- 
mony among  travelers  in  applying 
for  a  night's  lodging.  Hospitality 
is  almost  a  universal  characteristic 
of  such  a  state  of  society.  But  what- 
ever may  have  been  Rahab's  cha- 
racter previous  to  the  destruction  of 
Jericho,  there  is  no  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  after  that  event  it  was  other 
than  pious  and  exemplary,  and  such 
as  became  a  true  penitent.  The  op- 
probrious appellation,  it  is  true,  re- 
mained, and  it  was  not  unfitting  that 
her  name,  in  the  providence  of  God, 
should  descend  to  posterity  with 
something  of  a  stigma  attached  to 
it,  especially  as  it  is  according  to 
scriptural  usage,  that  a  person  should 
3 


sent  unto  Rahab,  saying.  Bring 
forth  the  men  that  are  come  to 
thee,  which  are  entered  into  thy 
house :  for  they  be  come  to 
search  out  all  the  country. 
4  ^And  the  woman  took  the 

e  See  2  Sam.  17.  19,20. 


be  called  by  a  former  denomination 
even  after  the  grounds  of  it  have 
ceased.  Thus  Matthew  is  called 
'  Matthew  the  publican,'  Matt.  10.  3. 
— 9.  9,  after  he  had  been  chosen  an 
apostle,  and  Simon  is  called  '  Simon 
the  leper,'  Matt.  26.  6,  though  cleans- 
ed from  his  leprosy.  But  if  she  had 
truly  repented  and  reformed,  there 
is  no  more  justice  in  charging  the 
sins  of  her  former  life  upon  her, 
than  in  reproaching  Abraham  with 
the  sin  of  idolatry,  of  which  he  was 
doubtless  guilty  before  his  call, 
IT  And  lodged  there.  Heb.  '  and  lay 
down  there.'  That  is,  they  went  in 
with  the  design  of  lodging  there,  and 
probably  had  actually  lain  down  and 
composed  themselves  to  rest,  when 
the  arrival  of  the  king's  messen- 
gers defeated  their  purpose,  inter- 
rupted their  repose,  and  made  it  ne- 
cessarv  for  them  to  save  themselves 
by  flight.  Thus  Gen.  37.  21,  '  And 
Reuben  heard  it,  and  he  delivered 
him  out  of  their  hands,'  i.  e.  h.e  pur- 
posed to  deliver  him. 

2.  Behold  there  came  men — to 
search  out  the  country.  This  could 
have  been  only  a  conjecture,  yet 
they  affirm  it  as  a  matter  of  absolute 
certainty.  As  they  could  conceive 
of  no  other  motive  for  which  they 
had  come,  it  was  perhaps  natural 
that  they  should  confidently  assign 
this  as  the  true  one. 

3.  For  they  be  come,  &c.  This 
seems  to  have  been  said  by  way  of 
answer  to  anticipated  objections  on 
her  part,  as  if  it  were  the  height  of 
treachery  to  her  guests  thus  to  deal 
with  them.  '  But  no,  you  need 
have  no  scruples  on  this  score,  for 
the  men  are  not  good  men,  as  you 
may  have  supposed ;  they  have 
come  hither  as  enemies  and  spies, 
whom  it  will  be  no  breach  of  the 


22 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


two  men,  and  hid  them,  and  said 
thus,  There  came  men  unto  me, 
but  I  wist  not  whence  they  were  : 
5  And  it  came  to  pass  o.bout 
the  time  of  shutting  of  the  gate, 


when  it  was  dark,  that  the  men 
went  out :  whither  the  men  went 
I  wot  not :  pursue  after  them 
quickly  ;  for  ye  shall  overtake 
them. 


laws  of  hospitality  to  deliver  up  to 
justice. 

4.    And  the  woman  took  the  two 
men,  and  hid  them.    Heb.  '  hid  him,' 
i.  e.  each  one  of  them ;  implying 
probably  that  she  hid  them  separate- 
ly, at  some  distance  from  each  other. 
The  original  for  '  took,'  should  pro- 
bably be  rendered  '  had  taken,'  and 
the  whole  clause  inclosed  in  a  pa- 
renthesis. She  had,  in  all  likelihood, 
learnt  soon  after  their  arrival  the 
object  of  their  errand,  and  aware  of 
the  danger  to  which  they  would  be  ex- 
posed if  discovered,  she  had,  at  an  ear- 
ly hour,  conveyed  them  to  a  place  of 
concealment;  not,  however,  before 
rumors  of  their  presence  began  to  cir- 
culate about  the  city.     This  is  justly 
celebrated  by  the  apostle  as  an  in- 
stance of  high  and  heroic  faith,  Heb. 
11.  31.    So  strong  was  her  persua- 
sion of  the  truth  of  what  had  been  an- 
nounced to  her,  so  fully  was  she  con- 
vinced, from  what  she  had  heard  of 
the  wonders  wrought  for  Israel,  that 
their  God  was  the  only  true  God,  and 
consequently  that  his  declared  pur- 
pose   in  regard  to  Canaan  would 
surely  come  to  pass,  that  she  ven- 
tures her  life  upon  her  faith.    She 
knew  that  harboring  them  was  expo- 
sing herself  to  the  death  of  a  traitor 
to  her  country,  and  yet  she  runs  the 
risk.    '  She  contemns  her  life  for  the 
present,  that  she  may  save  it  for  the 
future ;  neglected  her  own  king  and 
country,  for  strangers   which    she 
never  saw  ;  and  more  feared  the  de- 
struction of  that  city  before  it  knew 
that  it  had  an  enemy,  than  the  dis- 
pleasure and  mortal  revenge  of  her 
king'.  Bp.  Hall.    It  was  thus  that  her 
faith  justified  itself  by  works.    Had 
she  merely  assured  the  spies,  that 
though  she  believed  that  both  Jericho 
and  Canaan  would  fall  into  their 
hands,  yet  in  her  circumstances  she 
could  show  them  no  kindness,  her 


faith  would  have  been  dead  and  in- 
active, and  would  not  have  justified 
her.  James  2.  25.  But  her  conduct 
showed  that  it  was  active  and  lively, 
and  the  event  proved  that  it  was  efli- 
cacious  to  her  salvation.  So  unless 
our  faith  leads  us  to  incur  hazards 
and  make  sacrifices  for  God,  it  is  to 
be  accounted  of  no  avail.  IT  There 
came  men  unto  me,  hut  I  icist  not 
u-hcnce  they  were.  Thus  far,  perhaps, 
her  answer  contains  no  violation  of 
truth.  She  admits  that  two  men 
came  to  her  house,  but  at  the  trme  of 
their  coming,  she  knew  not  whence 
they  were.  The  verb  in  the  original 
is  in  the  past  tense,  and  should  be  so 
rendered — '  I  knew  not.' 

5.  About  the  time  of  shutting  of 
the  gate.  The  gate  of  the  city. 
IT  The  men  went  out,  &c.  This  is 
the  part  of  Rahab's  conduct  most  dif- 
ficult to  be  accounted  for,  consistently 
with  the  commendations  elsewhere 
bestowed  upon  her  by  the  sacred 
writers.  That  she  deceived  the  mes- 
sengers by  a  falsehood  is  indubitable. 
She  said  the  spies  had  left  her  house 
when  they  were  still  in  it.  How  is 
this  to  be  reconciled  with  the  work- 
ings of  a  heart  made  right  in  the  ' 
sight  of  God  1  The  question  is  cer- 
tainly one  of  no  easy  solution ;  but 
in  forming  a  judgment  of  her  con- 
duct, it  is  fair  that  Rahab  should 
have  the  benefit  of  every  extenuating 
circumstance  that  can  be  adduced  in 
her  favor ;  and  such  are  the  follow- 
ing. (1.)  Having  been  born  and 
brought  up  among  the  depraved  Ca- 
naanites,  she  had  probably  never 
been  taught  the  evil  of  lying,  and 
least  of  all  where  an  apparently 
good  end  was  to  be  answered  by  it. 
From  the  uniform  testimony  of  tra- 
velers and  missionaries,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  among  all  heathen  nations, 
particularly  those  of  the  East,  lying 
ever  has  been,  and  still  is,  a  practice 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  IT. 


6  But  ^she  had  brought  them 

f  See  Ex.  1.  17.    2  Sam.  17.  19. 


of  universal  prevalence,  and  of  the 
criminality  of  which  they  have 
scarcely  any  sense.  So  weak  is  the 
feeling  of  obligation,  as  to  the  obser- 
vance of  strict  veracity,  that  even 
apparently  sincere  converts  have 
the  greatest  difficulty  in  freeing 
themselves  from  the  habit  of  equivo- 
-  cation,  and  need  to  be  perpetually 
admonished  on  that  score.  (See 
Read's  Cfiristian  BrahviU7i.)  What 
wonder  then  that  Rahab,  a  poor,  ig- 
norant, heathen  v/oman,  upon  whose 
mind  the  light  of  a  saving  knowl- 
edge had  just  begun  to  dawn,  should 
have  prevaricated  in  the  trying  cir- 
cumstances in  which  she  was  placedl 
How  much  allowance  precisely  is 
to  be  made  for  her  on  this  ground 
tee  may  not  know;  but  God  does.  To 
him  we  may  leave  it.  That  it  should 
go  somewfiat  in  abatement  of  her 
guilt,  if  guilty  she  were,  we  have  no 
doubt.  (2.)  Apart  from  the  above- 
mentioned  consideration,  it  was  tru- 
ly a  difficult  problem  to  be  solved, 
how  she  should,  under  the  circum- 
stances, act  according  to  her  faith. 
She  fully  believed  that  what  the 
spies  had  told  her  was  true.  She 
says  not,  '  I  fear,'  or  '  I  believe,'  but 
'  /  know,  that  the  Lord  hath  given 
you  the  land.'  She  was  satisfied 
that  it  was  in  vain  to  fight  against 
God,  and  what  could  she  do  7  If 
she  had  either  told  the  truth  or  re- 
mained silent,  she  had  betrayed  the 
spies ;  but  if  she  believed  them  sent 
of  God,  could  she  have  done  this 
without  sin  1  She  knew,  moreover, 
very  well,  that  if  these  two  spies  were 
put  to  death,  it  would  make  no  diflfer- 
ence  whatever  as  to  the  issue  of  the 
•contest.  The  whole  city  and  its  in- 
habitants would  at  any  rate  be  de- 
stroyed. To  what  purpose  then 
would  it  be  to  deliver  up  the  spies  1 
It  would  not  save  one  single  life ;  it 
would  only  be  to  continue  fighting 
against  God,  and  to  bring  on  herself 
and  her  family  that  destruction 
which  it  was  now  in  her  power  to 
avert.    By  concealing  the  spies  she 


up  to  the  roof  of  the  house,  and 


could  in  fact  injure  nobody,  where* 
as  by  giving  them  up,  she  would 
sacrifice  not  them  only,  but  also 
herself  and  her  family.  Was  there 
then  any  other  conceivable  mode 
by  which  she  could  act  accords 
ing  to  her  faith,  than  by  practis- 
ing an  imposition  upon  the  king's 
officers '?  (3.)  By  the  very  fact  of 
her  exercising  a  firm  faith  in  the 
divine  testimony,  she  did  virtually 
throw  herself  upon  the  side  of  Israel, 
and  unite  her  interests  with  theirs. 
Henceforth  their  enemies  were  hers. 
If  the  Canaanites  had  no  right  to  de- 
mand the  truth  of  Israel,  they  had 
no  right  to  demand  it  of  her.  If  it 
would  have  been  right  for  the  Israel^ 
ites  to  have  recourse  to  a  stratagem 
to  mislead  an  enemy  in  arms,  we 
see  not  why  it  was  not  equally  right 
for  her.  But  that  the  Israelites  often 
did  resort  to  such  expedients  in  car- 
rying on  their  wars  is  beyond  ques- 
tion, nor  do  the  scriptures  absolutely 
condemn  them.  They  are  certainly 
as  lawful  as  war  itself  is.  No  one 
probably  doubts  that  Elisha  was  jus- 
tified in  deceiving  the  Syrian  army, 
and  leading  them  blinded  from  Do- 
tham,  whither  they  had  come  to  des- 
troy him,  to  Samaria,  where  they 
were  brought  into  the  power  of  the 
king  of  Israel.  Considering  Rahab 
then  as  really  leagued  with  Israel 
against  her  countrymen,  why  is  she 
not  equally  to  be  justified  with  Elisha 
in  imposing  upon  her  enemies "?  If 
they  will  suflfer  themselves  to  be  de- 
ceived by  her  direction  to  pursue  the 
spies  another  way,  let  them  be  de- 
ceived. The  fidelity  that  she  owed 
to  God  was  entirely  paramount  to 
that  which  she  owed  her  country, 
and  she  was  bound  to  act  accordingly. 
But  whether  we  justify  or  condemn 
her  conduct,  it  can  afford  no  prece^ 
dent  to  us.  Before  we  can  plead  her 
example  in  justification  of  treachery 
or  falsehood,  we  must  be  circum- 
stanced as  she  was.  But  this  it  is 
nearly  impossible  we  ever  should  be, 
6,  She  had  brought  them  up  U>  the 


34 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


hid  them  with  the  stalks  of  flax, 
which  she  had  laid  in  order  upon 
the  roof. 

7  And  the  men  pursued  after 
them  the  way  to  Jordan  unto 
the  fords :  and  as  soon  as  they 
which  pursued  after  them  were 
gone  out,  they  shut  the  gate. 

8  H  And   before  they   were 


roof  of  ike  house.  This  verse  is  also 
parenthetical,  and  designed  to  ex- 
plain more  particularly  the  circum- 
stances of  the  concealment  men- 
tioned, V.  4.  The  roofs  of  houses 
were  then,  as  they  still  are  in  that 
country,  flat,  and  being  furnished 
with  such  battlements  or  parapets, 
as  were  commanded  to  the  Jews, 
Dent.  22.  8,  were  made  use  of  for 
walking  or  sleeping  upon,  or  for  de- 
positing any  kind  of  goods  or  chat- 
tels which  could  not  be  convenient- 
ly bestowed  elsewhere.  See  '  Illus- 
trations of  the  Scriptures,'  p.  159, 
414,  461.  IT  Hid  them  with  the  stalks 
ofjiax,  &c.  This  was  probably  laid 
upon  the  roof,  in  order  to  dry  in  the 
sun,  preparatory  to  beating  and 
dressing  it  for  the  wheel  on  which  it 
was  to  be  spun.  Had  she  kept  a 
public-house,  as  some  have  supposed, 
she  would  have  been  less  likely  to 
have  had  her  roof  spread  over  with 
such  an  article.  The  original  is  ex- 
plicit in  saying  that  the  flax  had 
been  spread  out  or  laid  in  order  '  for 
herself,'  as  if  for  her  own  use ;  from 
which  the  inference  is,  we  think,  not 
inaptly  drawn ,  that  she  possessed  one 
at  least  of  the  characters  of  the  vir- 
tuous woman,  viz.  that  '  she  sought 
wool  and  flax,  and  wrought  willing- 
ly with  her  hands,'  Prov.  31.  13,  and 
perhaps,  at  this  time,  supported  her- 
self in  a  way  of  honest  industry. 

7.  Unto  the  fords.  Or,  Heb."' pas- 
sages, crossing-places,'  whether  by 
boats,  bridges,  or  fording.  Probably 
there  were  several  such  places,  and 
the  pursuers  may  have  divided  them- 
selves into  different  companies,  and 
directed  their  course  to  each  of  them. 


lain    down,  she  came  up  unto 
them  upon  the  roof; 

9  And  she  said  unto  the  men, 
I  know  that  the  Lord  hath  given 
you  the  land,  and  that  &your 
terror  is  fallen  upon  us,  and  that 
all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land 
faint  because  of  you. 

10  For  we   have  heard  how 

g  Gen.  35.  5.    Ex.  23.  27.   Deut.  2.  25.  &  11.  25. 


IT  Shut  the  gate.  Doubtless  with  es- 
pecial care,  and  perhaps  setting  an 
extra  guard,  both  to  bar  out  enemies 
that  might  be  lurking  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  to  prevent  the  escape 
of  the  spies,  if  perchance  they  still 
remained  in  the  city. 

9.  1  knoui  that  the  Lord  hath  given, 
&c.  I  know  and  am  assured ;  I  am 
perfectly  satisfied ;  I  have  not  a  doubt. 
An  emphatic  declaration  implying- 
much  more  than  a  shrewd  conjec- 
ture or  strong  suspicion  from  exist- 
ing circumstances  that  such  would 
be  the  result.  The  words  are  ex- 
pressive of  the  strength  of  her  faith, 
IT  Your  terror.  The  dread  of  you. 
See  Ex.  23.  27.-34.  24.  Deut.  11. 
25.-28.  7.  IT  All  the  inhabitants  of 
the  land  faint.  Heb.  'are  melted, 
dissolved,  liquefied.'  Precisely  the 
same  expression  is  used,  Ex.  15.  15, 
in  reference  to  this  very  event :  '  all 
the  inhabitants  of  Canaan  shall  melt 
away.''  It  expresses,  in  the  strong- 
est manner,  the  effect  of  the  general 
consternation  which  had  seized  upon 
the  devoted  nations,  in  Yi^sy  of  con- 
tending with  such  a  powerful  foe — 
one  which  was  under  the  special  con- 
duct and  protection  of  an  almighty 
arm.  Their  very  hearts  quailed 
before  the  approach  of  Israel,  in  a  cer- 
tain fearful  looking  for  of  judgment 
and  vengeance  at  their  hands.  It  was 
probably  somethingmore  than  a  mere 
natural  dread  of  a  formidable  ene- 
my ;  it  was  a  supernatural  panic  sent 
upon  their  spirits  by  the  immediate 
power  of  God,  a  fearful  presage  of 
the  destruction  that  awaited  them. 

10.  For  we  have  heard^  &c.     The 
first  of  these  events,  th^  drying  up 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  II. 


25 


the  Lord  ''dried  up  the  water 
of  the  Red  Sea  for  you,  when 
ye  came  out  of  Egypt ;  and 
iwhat  ye  did  unto  the  two  kings 
of  the  Amorites  that  were  on 
the  other  side  Jordan,  Sihon  and 
Og,  whom  ye  utterly  destroyed. 
11  And  as  soon  as  we  had 
Jf heard  these  things,  lour  hearts 

h  Ex.  14.    21.   ch.   4.   23.     i   Nu«.  21.   24,34,35. 
k    Ex.  15.  14,  15.     1  ch.  5.  1.  &  7.  5.   Is.  13.  7. 


of  the  Red  Sea,  had  happened  forty 
years  before,  and  though  it  had  pro- 
duced a  deep  impression  at  the  time, 
on  all  the  surrounding  nations,  yet  in 
the  lapse  of  that  long  interval,  which 
was  a  season  granted  them  for  repen- 
tance, it  is  not  unlikely  that  their 
alarm  had  in  great  measure  died 
away,  till  now  it  was  revived  again 
by  their  nearer  approach,  and  by  the 
recent  overthrow  of  the  two  Amor- 
itish  kings.  The  convictions  of  sin- 
ners are  apt  to  come  and  go  with 
the  alarming  or  afflictiv^e  dispensa- 
tions of  God's  providence.  So  it  is 
said  of  Israel  of  old,  Ps.  78.  34—37, 
'  when  he  slew  them,  then  they  sought 
him:  and  they  returned  (changed 
their  mind>  and  inquired  early  after 
God.  Nevertheless  they  did  flatter 
him  with  their  mouth,  and  they  lied 
unto  him  with  their  tongues ;  for  their 
heart  was  not  right  with  him,  neither 
were  they  steadfast  in  his  covenant.' 
11.  And  as  soon  as  loe  heard  our 
hearts  did  melt.  Heb.  'and  we 
heard,  and  our  heart  did  melt,'  spo- 
ken as  if  the  whole  nation  were  one 
person,  having  one  heart.  The  ori- 
ginal word  for  'melt,'  though  not 
precisely  the  same  with  that  in  v. 
9,  is  yet  of  kindred  import,  the  meta- 
phor being  taken  from  the  melting 
of  metals  before  the  fire.  IF  Neither 
did  there  remain  any  more  courage 
in  any  man.  Heb.  '  neither  any 
more  stood  there  up  spirit  in  any 
man,'  i.  e.  no  man's  spirit  was  erect 
within  him;  every  one's  courage 
failed,  and  he  became  cowering  and 
faint-hearted.  IT  Because  of  you, 
Heb.  *  from  before  you,'  i.  e.  by  rea- 
3* 


did  melt,  neither  did  there  re- 
main any  more  courage  in  any 
man,  because  of  you  :  for  °>the 
Lord  your  God,  he  is  God  in 
heaven  above,  and  in  earth  be- 
neath. 

12  Now  therefore,  I  pray 
you,  "swear  unto  me  by  the 
Lord,  since  I  have  showed  you 

n,  Peut.  4.  39.        n   See  I  Sam  20.  14,  15, 17. 


son  of  your  presence.  '^  He  is  God 
I  in  heaven  above,  and  in  earth  beneath. 
As  much  as  to  say,  '  The  Lord  your 
God  is  both  omnipotent  and  omni- 
present;' a  remarkable  confession 
considering  the  previous  ignorance 
and  darkness  of  her  mind.  It  was  at 
once  an  acknowledgment  of  the  true 
God,  and  a  condemnation  of  the  false 
gods  and  idolatrous  worship  of  her 
countrymen,  and  showed  a  superna- 
tural influence  of  God  upon  her  soul. 
He  can  cause  the  rays  of  truth  to  pe- 
netrate the  thickest  shades  of  that  mo- 
ral midnight  which  broods  over  the 
minds  of  the  unenlightened  heathen, 
though  we  have  no  evidence  that  he 
ever  does  this,  except  in  connection 
with  some  kind  of  external  instru- 
mentality. 

12.  Sivear  unto  me  by  the  Lord. 
This  proposal  still  further  displays 
the  sincerity  and  the  strength  of  her 
faith.  While  the  people  of  Israel, 
with  the  miracles  of  the  divine  pow- 
er constantly  before  their  eyes,  were 
incessantly  prone  to  stagger  at  the 
promises  and  give  way  to  unbelief, 
she,  upon  the  mere  hearsay  report 
of  these  wonders,  is  so  firmly  persua- 
ded of  their  truth,  that  she  desires  to 
enter  covenant  with  the  spies  for  her 
own  preservation  and  that  of  her  fam- 
ily. Though  they  were  now  in  per- 
ilous circumstances,  shut  up  within 
the  walls  of  Jericho,  and  surrounded 
by  enemies,  yet  she  treats  with  them 
as  if  they  had  already  stormed  the 
city  and  had  the  power  of  life  and 
death  in  their  hands.  So  earnest  is 
she  in  this  matter,  that  she  would  have 
them  ratify  by  an  oath  their  agree- 


26 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


kindness,  that  ye  will  also  show 
kindness  unto  °my  father's  house, 
and  pgive  me  a  true  token  : 

13  And  that  ye  will  save  alive 
my  father,  and  my  mother,  and 
my  brethren,  and  my  sisters, 
and  all  that  they  have,  and  de- 
liver our  lives  from  death. 

14  And  the  men  answered  her. 
Our  life  for  yours,  if  ye  utter 
not  this  our  business.     And  it 

o  See  1  Tim.  5.  8.         p   ver.  13. 


shall  be,  when  the  Lord  hath 
given  us  the  land,  that  "^vve  will 
deal  kindly  and  truly  with  thee. 

15  Then  she  --let  them  down 
by  a  cord  through  the  window : 
for  her  house  was  upon  the  town- 
wall,  and  she  dwelt  upon  the 
wall. 

16  And  slie  said  unto  them. 
Get  you  to  the  mountain,  lest 
the    pursuers    meet   you ;    and 

q   Judg.  1.  24.     Matl.  5.  7.         r   Acts  9.  25. 


ment  to  save  her.  In  like  manner,  a 
deep-rooted  conviction  of  the  danger 
hanging  over  the  head  of  the  sinner 
from  the  curse  of  a  violated  law,  will 
prompt  him  to  give  all  diligence  lo 
flee  from  the  wrath  to  come  and  lay 
hold  on  eternal  life,  by  joining  him- 
self to  God  and  his  people.  %  Showed 
youkindness.  Heb.  '  doneyoukind- 
ness.'  IT  Give  me  a  true  token.  Heb. 
*  a  token,  or  sign  of  truth,  or  certain- 
ty.' That  is,  a  token  which  shall 
not  deceive  me;  one  which  I  may 
produce  as  a  witness  of  this  agree- 
ment ;  one  on  the  sight  of  which  the 
Israelites  shall  forbear  to  hurt  either 
me  or  mine. 

13.  That  ye  will  so.ve  alive  my  fa- 
ther and  my  mother,  &c.  The  same 
feelings  which  warn  us  to  flee  the 
coming  wrath  and  make  our  own 
peace  with  God,  will  also  incite  us 
to  do  all  in  our  power  to  promote  the 
salvation  of  our  families  and  kindred, 
by  bringing  them  also  within  the 
bonds  of  the  covenant.  We  shall 
feel  that  our  work  is  but  half  done 
when  onr  own  souls  are  safe. 

14.  Our  life  for  yours.  That  is, 
we  pawn  and  pledge  our  lives  for 
the  security  of  yours  ;  may  our  lives 
be  destroyed,  if  we  suffer  yours  to  be 
injured.  The  exact  rendering  of  the 
Heb.  is,  '  Let  our  soul  be  to  die  in- 
stead of  you.'  IT  If  ye  idler  not  this 
our  Ini sine ss.  That  is,  if  neither  thou 
nor  any  of  thy  kindred  ('ye')  betray 
us  when  we  are  gone,  or  divulge  this 
agreement,  so  that  others  may  avail 
themselves  of  its  conditions. '  *  They 


that  will  be  conscientious  in  keeping 
their  promises,  will  be  cautious  in 
making  them,  and  may  perhaps  in- 
sert conditions  which  others  will 
think  frivolous.'  Henry.  IT  And 
it  shall  be,  &c.  Rather, "'  that  it  shall 
\)e.'  The  words  should  be  read  in  im- 
mediate connection  with  the  forego- 
ing, of  v.-hich  they  are  a  continua- 
tion, containing  the  promise  which 
they  make  provided  she  will  adhere 
to  the  conditions  above  stated.  The 
present  rnode  of  punctuation  gives  a 
wrong,  or  at  least  an  inadequate,  view 
of  the  precise  scope  of  the  passage. 

15.  Then  f^he  let  them  dovm,  &c. 
That  is,  by  the  help  of  her  friends  or 
domestics.  In  like  manner  Paul 
made  his  escape  from  Damascus,  2 
Cor.  11.  33.  The  conversation  men- 
tioned in  the  succeeding  verses  ap- 
pears to  have  taken  place  previous 
to  their  being  let  down  from  the  win- 
dow ;  for  which  reason  Adam  Clarke 
remarks,  that  the  natural  place  of 
this  verse  is  immediately  after  the 
first  clause  of  V.  21.  It  is  very  un- 
likely that  she  would  dismiss 'them 
before  the  above-mentioned  condi- 
tions were  agreed  upon ;  or  that  she 
would  discourse  with  them  of  mat- 
ters of  so  much  moment  after  they 
were  let  down,  and  were  standing 
under  the  window,  where  others 
might  overhear  them ;  or  that  she 
Avould  commence  speaking  to  thera 
in  her  chamber,  and  not  finish  till 
they  had  left  the  house. 

l(i.  Get  you  to  the  mountain.  That 
is,  to  the  mountainous  region  in  the 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  II. 


27 


hide  yourselves  there  three  days, 
until  the  pursuers  be  returned  : 
and  afterward  may  ye  go  your 
way. 

17  And  the  men  said  unto  her, 
We  will  be  ^blameless  of  this 
thine  oath  which  thou  hast  made 
us  swear. 

18  tBehold,  when  we  come 
into  the  land,  thou  shalt  bind 
this  line  of  scarlet  thread  in  the 
window  which  thou  didst  let  us 
down  by  :  "and  thou  shalt  bring 
thy  father,  and  thy  mother, 
and  thy  brethren,  and  all  thy 


vicinity ;  not  to  any  particular  moun- 
tain. Jericho,  as  we  have  seen,  was 
encompassed  by  a  range  of  high  hills. 
In  some  of  the  caves  of  these  they 
might  conceal  themselves  for  the 
time  specified. 

17.  We  ivill  be  blameless  of  this 
thine  oath.  It  shall  not  be  our  fault 
if  the  said  oath  be  not  kept,  provided 
the  annexed  conditions  be  punctu- 
ally observed  on  thy  part.  We  will 
be  free  from  the  reproach  of  be- 
ing unfaithful  to  our  engagements. 
These  conditions  they  go  on  to  state 
in  the  next  verse. 

18.  This  line  of  scarlet  thread. 
Rather  '  this  cord,'  i.  e.  a  line  or  cord, 
consisting  ofsuch  a  number  of  threads 
or  braids,  that  when  twisted  together, 
they  should  be  capable  of  sustaining 
the  weight  of  a  man's  body ;  for  it 
seems  to  have  been  the  very  same 
cord  with  which  they  were  let  down 
from  the  window.  This  was  to  be  a 
mark  upon  the  house,  of  which  the 
spies  Avould  inform  the  camp  of 
Israel,  so  that  no  soldier,  however 
fierce  and  eager  he  might  be  in  the 
work  of  destruction,  should  offer  any 
violence  to  the  place  thus  distin- 
guished. It  answered,  therefore,  the 
same  purpose  with  the  blood  sprink- 
led upon  the  door-posts  in  Egypt, 
which  secured  the  first-born  from  the 
destroying  angel.  IF  Thou  shall  bring 


father's    household   home   unto 
thee. 

ly  And  it  shall  be,  that  who- 
soever shall  go  out  of  the  doors 
of  thy  house  into  the  street,  his 
blood  shall  he  upon  his  head,  and 
we  loill  he  guiltless  :  and  who- 
soever shall  be  with  thee  in  the 
house,  '^his  blood  shall  he  on  our 
head,  \^  any  hand  be  upon  him. 

20  And  if  thou  utter  this  our 
business,  then  we  will  be  quit 
of  thine  oath  which  thou  hast 
made  us  to  swear. 

21  And  she  said,  According 


thy  father  and  thy  mother,  &c.  Heb. 
'  shalt  gather.'  In  no  other  way  could 
Rahab's  kindred  be  distinguish- 
ed from  those  who  were  to  be  de- 
voted to  the  sword.  If  they  would 
not '  perish  with  them  that  believed 
not,'  they  must  convey  themselves 
to  the  only  place  of  safety.  If  any 
of  them  had  been  met  in  the  streets 
by  the  slaughtering  Israelites,  it 
would  have  availed  them  nothing  to 
say,  '  We  belong  to  the  house  of  Ra- 
hab.'  The  answer  would  be, '  If  you 
belong  to  the  house,  why  are  you  not 
in  the  house'?  We  know  you  not.' 
So  those  who  professedly  belong  to 
the  church  of  Christ,  if  they  would 
be  saved,  must  keep  close  to  the  so- 
ciety of  the  faithful.  If  they  are 
found  mingled  Avith  the  world  in  spi- 
rit and  pursuit,  they  have  reason  to 
fear  being  overwhelmed  in  its  de- 
struction. 

19.  His  blood  shall  be  upon  his  head. 
The  guilt  of  his  blood-shedding  shall 
rest  wholly  iipon  himself  He  shall 
have  no  one  else  to  blame.  He  has 
failed  to  perform  the  conditions  of 
the  covenant,  and  so  must  suffer  for 
it.  IT  If  any  hand  be  upon  him. 
That  is,  so  as  to  slay  him.  See  a 
like  phraseology,  Deut.  17.  7,  Est. 
6.  2.    Job  1.  12. 

21.  According  to  your  words  so  be 
it.    I  readily  agree  to  the  terms; 


28 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


unto  your  words,  so  he  it.  And 
she  sent  them  away,  and  they 
departed :  and  she  bound  the 
scarlet  line  in  the  window. 

22  And  they  went,  and  came 
unto  the  mountain,  and  abode 
there  three  days,  until  the  pur- 
suers  were  returned  :  and  the 
pursuers  sought  them  throughout 
all  the  way,  but  found  them  not. 

23  IT  So  the  two  men  returned, 
and  descended  from  the  moun- 
tain, and  passed  over,  and  came 
to  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and 
told  him  all  things  that  befel 
them  : 


they  are  reasonable,  and  I  have  no- 
thing to  say  against  them.  IT  And 
she  bound  the  scarlet  line  in  the  loin- 
dow.  Probably  not  immediately,  for 
fear  of  exciting  suspicion,  but  in 
season,  to  avail  herself  of  the  benefit 
of  it. 

22.  Abode  there  three  days.  Not 
three  entire  days,  but  one  whole 
day  and  part  of  two  others.  They 
were  sent  out  on  the  sixth  day  of  the 
month  Nisan,  and  escaped  from  Jeri- 
cho the  same  night.  The  seventh 
day  they  spent  in  the  mountains. 
On  the  eighth  they  returned  to  the 
camp.  These  three  days  are  reck- 
oned in  the  same  manner  as  the 
three  days  of  our  Lord's  burial. 
Matt.  27.  64. 

23.  Passed  over.  Over  Jordan. 
IT  Told  him  all  things  that  befel 
them.  Heb.  'all  things  that  found 
them.'  They  probably  made  their 
report  to  Joshua  alone,  or  to  him  in 
company  with  the  elders,  without 
whose  concurrence  no  matter  of  im- 
portance seems  to  have  been  con- 
certed or  undertaken. 

24.  Do  faint  because  of  us.  Heb. 
•  are  melted  before  our  faces.'  From 
this  they  drew  the  assured  conclu- 
sion, that  God  was  about  to  deliver 
the  country  into  their  hands.  Those 


24  And  they  said  unto  Joshua, 
Truly  ythe  Lord  hath  deliver- 
ed into  our  hands  all  the  land ; 
for  even  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  country  do  faint  because  of 
us. 

CHAPTER  III. 
A  ND  Joshua  rose  early  in 
■^^  the  morning  ;  and  they  re- 
moved ^from  Shittim,  and  came 
to  Jordan,  he  and  all  the  children 
of  Israel,  and  lodged  there  beforo 
they  passed  over. 

2  And  it  came  to  pass  ^  after 
three  days,  that  the  officers 
went  through  the  host : 


r  Ex.  23.   31.    ch.  6.  2.   &  21.    44. 
ch.  1.  10,  11. 


K    ch.   2.  I. 


that  were  then  deprived  of  their  cour- 
age, would  soon  be  deprived  of  their 
possessions.  '  Sinners'  frights  are 
sometimes  sure  presages  of  their 
fall.'  Henry. 


CHAPTER  III. 

I.  Joshua  rose  early  in  the  morn- 
ing. That  is,  on  the  morning  of 
the  third  or  fourth  day  after  the 
proclamation  mentioned,  ch.  1.  11, 
Whether  the  spies  had  at  this  time 
returned  or  not  is  uncertain,  though 
most  probable  that  they  had.  IT  Lodg- 
ed there  before  they  passed  over. 
That  is,  for  one  night.  It  would  be 
more  convenient  for  the  congrega- 
tion to  pass  over  in  the  day-time  ;  the 
miracle  to  be  wrought  would  be 
more  conspicuous ;  and  a  greater  ter- 
ror would  be  struck  into  the  minds 
of  the  Canaanites.  There  is  no  evi- 
dence that  the  Israelites  were  in- 
formed of  the  manner  in  which  they 
were  to  cross  the  river,  yet  they  went 
forward  in  faith,  being  assured  that 
they  should  pass  it,  ch.  1.  11.  Duty 
often  calls  us  to  take  one  step  with- 
out knowing  how  we  shall  take  the 
next ;  but  if  brought  thus  far  by  the 
leadings  of  Providence,  and  while 
engaged  in  his  service,  we  may  safe- 
ly leave  the  event  to  him.    He  will 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  III. 


29 


3  And  they  commanded  the 
people,  saying,  ^When  ye  see 
the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the 
Lord  your  God,  '^and  the  priests 
the  Levites  bearing  it,  then  ye 
shall  remove  from  your  place, 
and  go  after  it. 

4  'Yet  there  shall  be  a  space 
between  you  and  it,  about  two 

c  See  Num.  10.  33.    d  Deuf.  31.  9,  25.     e  Ex.  19.  12. 


cleave  the  flood  or  the  rock  rather 
than  that  the  way  of  his  servants 
should  be  obstructed. 

2.  It  came  to  pass  after  three  days. 
In  exact  fulfilment  of  Joshua's  de- 
claration, ch.  1.  10,  11.- 

3.  Commanded  the  people,  &c.  In 
the  name  and  by  the  authority  of 
Joshua,  not  of  their  own  motion. 
IT  The  priests  the  Levites  bearing  it. 
The  priests  who  are  Levites,  who 
belong  to  the  tribe  of  Levi.  Al- 
though it  was  ordinarily  the  duty  of 
the  sons  of  Kohath,  who  were  merely 
Levites  and  not  priests,  to  bear  the 
ark,  Num.  4. 15,  yet  it  appears  that  on 
solemn  occasions  this  arrangement 
-might  be  departed  from,  and  the  of- 
fice performed  by  the  priests.  Josh. 
6.  6.  IF  Remove  from  your  place. 
That  is,  break  up  from  your  encamp- 
ment, leave  your  tents,  commence 
your  march,  v.  14.  IT  Go  after  it. 
Follow  it.  Go  in  the  rear  of  it. 
Hitherto,  under  the  conduct  of  Moses, 
the  ark  had  held  a  different  position. 
It  was  stationed  in  the  centre  while 
the  host  was  encamped,  and  borne  in 
the  middle  of  the  immense  proces- 
sion when  it  set  forward.  But  they 
then  had  the  pillar  of  cloud  by  day 
and  of  fire  by  night  to  precede  them. 
Now  the  cloud  is  removed,  and  the 
ark  is  transferred  to  the  vanguard 
of  the  army,  to  go  before. 

4.  There  shall  be  a  space — about 
tivo  thousand  civbits.  Two  thousand 
cubits  amounted  to  about  one  thou- 
sand yards,  or  three  quarters  of  a 
mile,  and  this  space  was  to  intervene 
between  them  and  the  ark,  in  order 
that  they  might  be  impressed  with  a 


thousand  cubits  by  measure  : 
come  not  near  unto  it,  that  yo 
may  know  the  way  by  which 
ye  must  go  ;  for  ye  have  not 
passed  tills  wav  heretofore. 

5  And  Joshua  said  unto  the 
people,  '"Sanctify  yourselves : 
for  to-morrow  the  Lord  will  do 
wonders  among  you. 

f  Ex.  19.  10,  H,  15.     Lev.  2n.  7.     Num.  11.  18.  ch. 
7.  13.     1  Sam.  16.  5.     Joel  2.  16. 


becoming  awe  and  reverence  of  the 
symbol  of  the  diAanepresence.  They 
would  see  too,  by  this  means,  that  in- 
stead of  their  protecting  it,  they  owed 
all  their  protection  to  it.  Another 
reason  is  expressed  in  the  words  im- 
mediately following.  IT  That  ye 
may  knoio  the  icay  by  which  ye  must 
go.  The  ark  was  to  be  their  pilot 
across  the  waters,  and  by  being  ad- 
vanced so  far  ahead  of  them,  would 
be  more  conspicuous  than  if  the  peo- 
ple had  gathered  and  pressed  close 
around  it.  As  it  was  put  at  such  a 
distance  before  them,  they  would  all 
have  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  it,  and 
would  be  animated  by  the  sight. 
This  was  the  more  necessary,  as  the 
passage  of  the  Jordan  was  an  un- 
trodden way  to  them.  IT  Ye  have 
not  passed  this  way  heretofore.  Heb. 
'  Since  yesterday  and  the  third  day ;' 
i.  e.  never  hitherto.  The  same  form 
of  expression  occurs,  Gen.  31.2.  It 
is  perhaps  intimated,  moreover,  that 
they  were  now  to  cross  the  river,  not 
at  any  usual  fording  place,  but  at 
some  point  entirely  new,  by  a  passage 
which  should  miraculously  open  be- 
fore them  as  the  priests  and  the  ark 
advanced. 

5.  And  Joshua  said  unto  the  people, 
Sanctify  yourselves.  Rather,  '  had 
said, '  for  as  he  speaks  of  '  to-mor- 
row,' the  charge  was  probably  ^iven 
on  the  day  previous  to  the  one  now 
current,  on  which  they  were  passing 
over  Jordan.  The  command  now 
given  was  undoubtedly  of  the  same 
import  with  that  given  by  Moses,  on 
the  eve  of  the  deliver)^  of  the  law 
upon  mount  Sinai,  Ex.  19.  10 — 14, 


30 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


6  And  Joshua  spake  unto  the 
priests,  saying,  ^Take  up  the 
ark  of  the  covenant,  and  pass 
over  before  the  people.  And 
they  took  up  the  ark  of  the  cov- 
enant,  and  went  before  the 
people. 

7  IT  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Joshua,  This  day  will  I  begin  to 
•^magnify  thee  in  the   sight   of 


They  were  to  wash  their  persons  and 
their  garments,  and  to  abstain  from 
every  thing  that  might  indispose 
their  minds  to  a  serious  and  devout 
atfention  to  the  miracle  about  to  be 
wrought  in  their  behalf.  A  similar 
command  was  generally  given  on 
great  and  solemn  occasions.  Lev. 
20.  7,  a  Num.  11.  18.  1  Sam.  16. 
5.  Joel  2-  16.  The  special  manifest- 
ations of  God's  presence  should  be 
awaited  by  his  people  in  a  posture 
of  deep  humiliation,  penitence,  and" 
prayer,  and  by  diligent  efforts  to 
'cleanse  themselves  from  all  filthi- 
ncss  of  flesh  and  spirit.' 

6.  Take  up  the  ark  of  the  covenant, 
&c,  Joshua  in  giving  this  command 
is  not  to  be  considered  as  acting  on 
his  own  absolute  authority,  for  it 
would  have  been  too  much  for  him 
to  assume  the  responsibility  ofchang- 
ing  the  usual  order  of  march,  without 
a  divine  direction.  He  was  merely 
the  organ  of  announcing  the  will  of 
God  in  respect  to  this  matter.  He 
obeyed  the  commands  of  Heaven  as 
the  priests  did  his,  IT  Tkey  took  up 
the  ark  of  the  covenant,  and  went  be- 
fore the  people.  Heb.  '  bore  up, '  i.  e. 
upon  their  shoulders,  according  to 
the  direction,  Num.  7.  9.  'A  noble 
defiance  of  the  enemies  of  Israel  was 
thus  given  ;  who  were  challenged  to 
attack  the  unarmed  priests,  or  to  at- 
tempt to  seize  the  unattended  ark.' 
Scott. 

7.  This  day  will  I  begin  to  magni- 
fy thee,  &c.  To  make  thee  great,  to 
raise  thee  in  the  estimation  of  thy  peo- 
ple, to  confirm  thine  authority,  and 


all  Israel,  that  they  may  know 
that  ias  I  was  with  Moses,  so  I 
will  be  with  thee. 

8  And  thou  shalt  command 
''the  priests  that  bear  the  ark 
of  the  covenant,  saying.  When 
ye  are  come  to  the  brink  of  the 
water  of  Jordan,  lye  shall  stand 
still  in  Jordan. 

9  IT  And    Joshua   said   unto 

i  ch.  1.  5.        k  ver.  3.        1  -rer.  17. 


to  clothe  thee  with  honor,  God  had 
before  put  distinguished  honor  upon. 
Joshua  on  several  occasions,  Ex.  24. 
13.  Deut.  31.  7,  but  it  had  not  been 
in  so  public  and  solemn  a  manner  f 
now  he  designs  to  magnify  him  as 
the  successor  of  Moses  in  the  gov- 
ernment. He  was  to  be  the  visible 
instrument  of  working  a  mighty  mir- 
acle in  the  eyes  of  the  nation ;  and 
from  his  circumstantially  foretelling^ 
how  the  waters  should  be  cut  off,  as 
soon  as  the  feet  of  the  priests  should 
touch  them,  v.  13,  it  was  demonstra- 
ted that  the  secret  of  the  Lord  was 
with  him.  True  greatness  belongs 
to  those  with  whom  God  is,  who-m  he 
employs  in  his  service,  and  upon 
whom  his  blessing  rests.  The  honor 
that  comes  from  man  may  surround 
one  with  a  temporary  eclat,  but  let 
those  that  aspire  to  lasting  and  solid 
distinction  seek  it  in  the  favor  of  God. 

8.  Ye  shall  stand  still  in  Jordan. 
They  were  first  required  to  pause  on 
the  brink  of  the  stream,  till  the  chan- 
nel was  laid  dry,  and  then  they  seem 
to  have  advanced  and  took  their  sta- 
tion in  the  midst  of  it,  till  all  the 
people  had  passed  over.  As  the  en- 
tire bed  of  the  river  below  the  resting 
point  of  the  ark  would  become  dry- 
by  the  waters  running  off  towards 
the  Dead  Sea,  the  congregation  might 
pass  over  in  that  direction,  having 
the  ark  on  their  right,  and  keeping 
at  the  prescribed  distance  of  2000  cu- 
bits. 

9.  Come  hither.  Draw  nigh  to- 
Avards  me,  as  many  as  can  comei 
within  hearing. 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  III. 


31 


the  children  of  Israel,  Come 
hither,  and  hear  the  words  of 
the  Lord  your  God. 

10  And  Joshua  said,  Hereby 
ye  shall  know  that  "'the  living 
God  is  among  you,  and  that  he 
will  without  fail  "drive  out  from 
before  you  the  Canaan  ites,  and 
the  Hittites,  and  the  Hivites, 
and  the  Perizzites,  and  the 
Girgashites,  and  the  Amorites, 
and  the  Jebusites. 

11  Behold,  the  ark  of  the  cove- 
nant  of  °the  Lord  of  all  the 
earth  passeth  over  before  you 
into  Jordan. 

12  Now  therefore  Ptake  you 
twelve  men  out  of  the   tribes  of 

m  Deut.  5.  26.  1  Sam.  17.  26.  2  King»  19.  4.  Hot. 
1.  10.  Mutl.  16.  16.  1  Tiiess.  1.  9.  n  Ex.  33.  2. 
Deul.  7.  1.  J's.  44.  2.  o  »er.  13.  Mic.  4.  13. 
Zech.  4.  14.  &  6.  5.        p  ch.  4.  2. 

10.  That  the  living  God  is  among 
you.  Not  a  dull,  senseless,  lifeless, 
inactive  deity,  like  ihe  gods  of  the 
heathen,  but  a  God  of  life,  power,  and 
energy,  able  to  work  for  you,  and  to 
put  to  confusion  all  your  enemies. 

11.  The  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the 
Lord  of  all  the  earth.  The  original 
will  adfmit  of  being  rendered,  '  The 
ark  of  the  covenant,  even  the  Lord 
of  all  the  earth ;'  and  it  is  contended, 
by  many  critics,  that  the  ark  of  the 
covenant  is  called  '  Lord,'  or  '  the 
Lord,'  in  repeated  instances,  partic- 
ularly Ex.  16.  33.  Num.  10.  35,  36. 
1  Sam.  4.  7.  This  would  seem  to  be 
confirmed  by  2  Sam.  6.  2,  '  And  Da- 
vid arose  and  went  with  all  the  peo- 
ple that  were  with  him,  from  Baale 
of  Judah,  to  bring  up  from  thence 
the  ark  of  God,  lohose  name  is  called 
by  the  navie  of  the  Lord  of  hosts.' 
Such  a  title,  however,  could  only  be 
applied  on  the  ground  of  its  being 
the  visible  symbol  of  the  divine  pres- 
ence, and  of  the  close  connection 
subsisting  between  the  sign  and  the 
thing  signified. 

12.  Take  ye  iioelve  men  out  of  the 


Israel,  out  of  every  tribe  a  man. 

13  And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
"Jas  soon  as  the  soles  of  the  feet 
of  the  priests  that  bear  the  ark 
of  the  Lord,  nhe  Lord  of  all 
the  earth,  shall  rest  in  the  waters 
of  Jordan,  that  the  waters  of 
Jordan  shall  be  cut  off  from  the 
waters  that  come  down  from 
above  ;  and  they  *shall  stand 
upon  a  heap. 

14  IT  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  the  people  removed  from 
their  tents  to  pass  over  Jordan, 
and  the  priests  bearing  the  'ark 
of  the  covenant  before  the  peo- 
ple ; 

15  And  as  they  that  bare  the 

q  rer.  15,  13.         r  vfr.  11.        s  P».  78.  13.  i  114.  8. 
t  Act*  7.  45. 


tribes  of  Israel.  The  object  of  this 
selection  is  afterwards  explained,  ch. 
4.  4,  5.  They  were  now  to  be  cho- 
sen, and  to  stand  ready  at  a  moment's 
warning,  for  the  service  to  which 
they  were  set  apart. 

13.  The  waters  of  Jordan  shall  be 
cut  off  from  the  waters  that  come  down 
from  above.  More  correctly  render- 
ed, '  the  waters  of  Jordan  shall  be 
cut  off,  even  the  waters  that  descend 
from  above  ;'  but  whether  he  speaks 
in  these  words  of  the  mass  of  waters 
remaining  above  the  ark,  that  they 
were  to  be  cut  off  from  those  below, 
which  would  be  speedily  drained  off, 
and  leave  the  channel  bare ;  or  whe- 
ther the  '  waters  that  come  dowa 
from  above,'  mean  those  that  flowed 
downwards  from  the  point  where 
the  ark  stood  above,  while  the  rest 
stood  as  a  heap,  it  is  difficult  to  de- 
termine. Comparing  this,  however, 
with  V.  16,  the  first  interpretation 
we  think  the  most  probable.  This 
seems  to  have  been  the  first  intima- 
tion given  to  the  people  as  to  the 
manner  in  which  they  were  to  cross 
the  river. 


32 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


ark  were  come  unto  Jordan,  and 
"  the  feet  of  the  priests  that  bare 
the  ark  were  dipped  in  the  brim 
of  the  water,  (for  -^Jordan  over- 
floweth  all  his  banks  >all  the 
time  of  harvest,) 

16  That  the  waters  which 
came  down  from  above  stood 
and  rose  up  upon  a  heap  very 
far  from  the  city  Adam,  that  is 
beside  =^Zaretan  ;  and  those  that 
came  down  ^toward  the  sea  of 
the  plain,  even  ''the  salt  sea, 
failed   and   were  cut   off:  and 


«   yer.  13.       i  1  Chr.  12.  15.     Jer.  12.  5.  4  49.   19. 
y    cb.  4.  18.  &.  5.  10,  12.  z    1  KiiigK  4.  12.  6i  1.  46 

b  Gen.  14.  3.     Num.  34.  3. 


a  Deui.  3.  17. 


15.  Jordan overjloweth all  hisbanks 
all  the  time  of  harvest.  That  is,  the 
time  of  the  barley  harvest ;  which  be- 
gan in  that  country  in  our  March  or 
April.  1  Chron.  12.  15.  This  inun- 
dation arose  from  the  melting  of  the 
snows  upon  Mount  Lebanon,  in 
which  the  Jordan  takes  its  rise.  It 
probably  took  place  on  this  occasion 
just  before  Israel  was  to  pass  over, 
and  served  to  render  the  miracle  far 
more  stupendous  and  unquestion- 
able. Indeed  we  may  suppose  that 
this  season  was  chosen  expressly,  in 
order  that  God  might  have  the  better 
opportunity  to  .convince  his  people 
of  his  almighty  power ;  that  they 
were  under  his  immediate  care  and 
protection ;  and  that  they  might 
never  cease  to  confide  in  him  in 
view  of  the  most  appalling  dangers. 
'  Though  the  opposition  given  to 
the  salvation  of  God's  people  have 
all  imaginable  advantages,  yet  God 
can  and  will  conquer  it.'  Henry. 

16.  Stood  and  rose  up  upon  a  heap. 
Being  checked  in  their  course  they 
continued  to  accumulate  and  swell 
higher  and  higher,  till  they  filled  up 
the  channel  to  a  great  distance  to- 
wards the  source  of  the  river.  Prob- 
ably another  miracle  was  wrought 
in  restraining  the  waters  thus  piled 
up  from  deluging  the  adjacent  coun- 


the   people   passed   over   right 
against  Jericho. 

17  And  the  priests  that  bare 
the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the 
Lord  stood  firm  on  dry  ground 
in  the  midst  of  Jordan,  <^and  all 
the  Israelites  passed  over  on  dry 
ground,  until  all  the  people  were 
passed  clean  over  Jordan. 
CHAPTER  IV. 
A  ND  it  came  to  pass,  when  all 
-^  the  people  were  clean  pass- 
ed =^over  Jordan,  that  the  Lord 
spake  unto  Joshua,  saying, 

G  See  Ei.  14.  29.        a  Deui.  27.  2.  cli.  3.  17. 


try.  IF  From  the  city  Adam  that 
is  beside  Zaretan.  The  position  of 
these  cities  is  not  easily  ascertained. 
As  to  the  first,  nothing  is  known ; 
and  perhaps  it  was  even  then  so  ob- 
scure as  to  be  described  by  its  near- 
ness to  Zaretan,  a  place  of  more  no- 
toriety. This  we  learn  from  1  Kings 
4.  12,  was  situated  below  Jezreel, 
near  Beth-shean  or  Scythopolis,  and 
not  far  from  Succoth  ;  but  Succoth, 
as  appears  from  Gen.  33.  17.  Josh. 
13.  27,  lay  on  the  east  of  Jordan,  not 
far  from  the  lake  of  Gennesaret,  and 
somewhere  in  this  immediate  vici- 
nity, doubtless,  was  Adam  situated. 
IT  Passed  over  right  against  Jericho. 
It  is  probable  that  the  people  crossed 
the  river  at  what  was  afterwards 
called  Beth-abara,  or  house  of  pas- 
sage, which  seems  to  have  derived  its 
name  from  this  very  circumstance. 
It  was  here  that  John  baptised,  John 
1.  28,  and  that  Jesus,  as  well  as  Josh- 
ua, began  to  be  magnified. 

17.  And  the  priests — stood  firm  on 
the  dry  ground.  Stood  fixedly  and 
immovable  in  the  same  place  and 
posture,  neither  pressed  upon  by  the 
waters,  nor  sinking  in  the  mire,  nor 
shifting  their  position.  It  is  proba- 
ble, too,  that  they  continued  bearing 
the  ark  on  their  shoulders  during 
the  whole  lime  of  their  standing. 


A.  C.  145L] 


CHAPTER  IV. 


33 


'2  ''Take  you  twelve  men  out 
of  the  people,  out  of  every  tribe 
a  man. 

3  And  command  ye  them, 
saying,  Take  you  hence  out  of 
the  midst  of  Jordan,  out  of  the 
place  where  nhe  priests'  feet 
stood  firm,  twelve  stones,  and 
ye  shall  carry  them  over  with 
you,  and  leave  them  in  ''the 
lodging.place  where  ye  shall 
Jodge  this  night. 

4  Then   Joshua   called   the 


d  ver.  19.  20. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

2.  Thke  you  twelve  men,  &c.  Heb. 
*  take  ye  for  yourselves,'  pi.  though 
addressed  to  Joshua ;  an  usage  of 
speech  founded  upon  the  union  be- 
tween a  leader  or  ruler,  and  his  peo- 
ple. Nothing  would  appear  from 
the  phraseology  itself  to  intimate 
that  any  such  command  had  been 
before  given,  but  as  we  know  there 
had,  ch.  3.  12,  the  twelve  men  here 
spoken  of  are  to  be  understood  of 
those  already  ch.05e.Ti  to  this  service. 

3.  Command  ije  them.  Another 
instance  of  the  phraseology  noticed 
above.  Joshua  is  addressed  con- 
jointly with  the  people,  and  required 
to  give  the  annexed  order.  If  Leave 
them  ill  the  lodging-place  where  ye 
shall  lodge  this  night.  This  was 
Gilgal,  as  appears  from  v.  19,  20,  a 
place  somewhat  more  than  six  miles 
from  the  river  Jordan. 

4.  Whom  he  had  prepared.  Whom 
he  had  before  chosen  and  appointed 
to  that  work,  with  a  command  that 
they  should  hold  themselves  in  read- 
iness for  it.  The  stones  were  prob- 
ably each  of  them  as  large  as  one 
man  could  conveniently  carry. 

5.  Pass  over  before  the  ark.  These 
twelve  men  had  probably  hitherto  re- 
mained, from  motives  of  reverence, 
somewhat  behind  the  ark,  perhaps 
near  to  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river. 
They  are  now  commanded  to  ad- 
vance, and  picking  up  the  stones  near 

4 


twelve  men,  whom  he  had  pre- 
pared  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
out  of  every  tribe  a  man  : 

6  And  Joshua  said  unto  them, 
Pass  over  before  the  ark  of  the 
Lord  your  God  into  the  midst 
of  Jordan,  and  take  you  up 
every  man  of  you  a  stone  upon 
his  shoulder,  according  unto  the 
number  of  the  tribes  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel : 

6  That  this  may  be  a  sign 
among    you,   that   «when   your 


e  ver    21.    Ex.  12.  26.  &  13.  H. 
44.  I.  &  78.  3,  4,  5,  6. 


Deal.  6.  20.     Ps. 


the  place  where  the  priests  stood,  to 
'  pass  over  before  the  ark,'  and  thus 
emerge  from  the  bed  of  Jordan,  and 
when  arrived  to  deposit  the  stones  in 
the  place  commanded.  Otherwise 
the  words  must  be  understood  to  im- 
ply, that  after  passing  over  with  the 
congregation,  the  twelve  men  were 
to  pass  back  again  to  the  place  where 
the  ark  stood,  and  thence  transport 
the  stones ;  which  we  cannot  but  re- 
gard as  a  violent  construction, 

6.    That  this  may  be  a  sign  among 
you.    A  sign  that  shall  permanently 
remain  among  you  ;  a  monument  or 
memorial ;    a    conspicuous    object, 
which  shall  be  a  standing  witness  of 
the  wonderful  event  that  has  this  day 
happened.  Heaps,  or  pillars  of  stone, 
in  commemoration  of  great  events, 
such  as  covenants,    victories,  &c., 
have  been  common  among  all  nations 
from  the  earliest   ages.     See  Gen. 
31.  46.  Ex.  24.  4.  In  the  present  case, 
though  there  was  no  inscription  on 
the  stones,  yet  from  the  number  of 
them,  and  from  the  place  where  they 
stood,  it  would  be  evident  that  they 
pointed  to  some  memorable  transac- 
tion, and  of  this  it  was  to  be  the  duty 
of  each  generation  to  keep  its  suc- 
cessors informed.    It  would  likewise 
serve  as  a  standing  proof  in  corrob- 
oration of  the  matter  of  fact  to  those 
who  might,  in  after  ages,  question 
the  truth  of  the  written  history.    The 
record  of  this  great  event  might  in- 


34 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


children  ask  their  fathers  in 
time  to  come,  saying,  What 
mean  ye  by  these  stones  ? 

7  Then  ye  shall  answer  them, 
That  *"the  waters  of  Jordan 
were  cut  off  before  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  of  the  Lord  ;  when 
it  passed  over  Jordan,  the  waters 
of  Jordan  were  cut  off:  and 
these  stones  shall  be  for  &a 
memorial  unto  the  children  of 
Israel  for  ever. 

fch.  3.  13,  16.        g  Ex.  12.14.     Num.  16.  40. 


deed  be  read  in  the  sacred  writings, 
but  God,  who  knows  the  frame  of  his 
creatures,  and  how  much  they  are 
influenced  by  the  objects  of  sense, 
kindly  ordered  an  expedient  for  keep- 
ing it  in  more  lively  remembrance 
from  age  to  age.  So  he  has  provi- 
ded the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  sup- 
per to  aid  our  understandings  and 
affect  our  hearts  by  sensible  symbols, 
though  the  same  great  truths  which 
they  represent  are  plainly  delivered 
in  words  in  the  inspired  oracles. 
IT  When  your  children  ask.  Heb. 
'  when  your  sons  ask  •,'  i.  e.  your  de- 
scendants ;  not  little  children  merely, 
but  your  posterity  of  whatever  age. 
.  IT  In  time  to  covie.  Heb.  '  to-morrow ;' 
often  used  in  the  original  to  signify 
indefinitely  all  future  time.  Gen.  30. 
33.  In  like  manner  '  yesterday  '  is 
used  in  a  general  sense  for  all  past 
time,  as  Heb.  13. 8,  '  Jesus  Christ,  the 
same  yesterday,  and  to-day,  and  for- 
ever.' IT  What  mean  ye  by  these  stones  ? 
Heb.  •  what  these  stones  to  you  V 

7.  Then  shall  ye  answer  them, 
That  the  waters,  &c.  This  clause, 
as  appears  from  the  original,  requires 
to  be  supplied  thus,  '  Then  shall  ye 
answer,  These  stones  are  designed 
to  commemorate  the  fact  that  the  wa- 
ters,' &c.  Such  is  undoubtedly  the 
true  grammatical  dependence  of  the 
conjunction  that.  H  Cut  off  before  the 
ark.  As  it  were,  at  the  sight  of  it, 
at  its  first  approach.  The  clause  res- 
pecting  the  cutting  off  of  the  waters 
of  Jordan  occurs  again  in  the  same 


8  And  the  children  of  Israel 
did  so  as  Joshua  commanded, 
and  took  up  twelve  stones  out 
of  the  mid.st  of  Jordan,  as  the 
Lord  spake  unto  Joshua,  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  the  tribes 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  car- 
ried them  over  with  them  unto 
the  place  where  they  lodged, 
and  laid  them  down  there. 

9  And  Joshua  set  up  twelve 
stones  in  the  midst  of  Jordan,  in 


words  towards  the  end  of  the  verse, 
to  intimate,  perhaps,  the  wonderful 
character  of  the  miracle,  and  that  a 
fact  of  such  a  stupendous  nature 
should  be  repeated  again  and  again 
in  the  hearing  of  those  who  were  to 
be  instructed.  IF  A  memorial  unto 
the  children  of  Israel.  To  them  par- 
ticularly and  primarily,  but  not  ex- 
clusively ;  for  the  monument  was 
calculated  to  be  a  witness  and  a 
standing  reproof  also  to  the  heathen 
nations  around.  IT  For  ever.  For 
an  indefinite  period  of  time  ;  as  long 
as  the  nation  should  endure. 

8.  The  children  of  Israel  did  so. 
That  is,  the  twelve  men,  who  acted 
as  the  representatives  of  the  whole 
body  of  the  children  of  Israel  and 
therefore  bear  their  name.  A  com- 
pany or  community  is  often  said  in 
the  Scriptures  to  do  that  which  is 
done  by  their  constituted  agents. 

9.  Joshua  set  up  ticelve  stones  in  the 
midst  of  Jordan.  Two  sets  of  stones 
therefore  were  erected  in  memory  of 
this  miraculous  passage,  one  at  Gil- 
gal,  the  other  in  the  bed  of  Jordan. 
Should  it  be  asked  how  the  latter 
could  serve  as  a  monument,  placed  as 
they  were  in  the  middleof  the  stream, 
and  liable  to  be  concealed  below  the 
surface,  we  answer,  that  as  nothing  is 
said  of  their  being  each  of  them,  like 
the  others,  of  a  size  suitable  for  one 
man  to  carry,  they  might  have  been 
vastly  larger,  and  so  based  upon  a 
lower  heap  as  to  be  generally  visible, 
and  thus  indicate  the  very  spot  where 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  IV. 


35 


the  place  where  the  feet  of  the 
priests  which  bare  the  ark  of  the 
covenant  stood  :  and  they  are 
there  unto  this  day. 

10  IT  For  the  priests  which 
bare"  the  ark  stood  in  the  midst 
of  Jordan,  until  every  thing  was 
finished  that  the  Lord  com- 
manded Joshua  to  speak  unto 
the  people,  according  to  all  that 
Moses  commanded  Joshua  :  and 


the  priests  stood  with  the  ark  ;  for  it 
is  to  be  remarked,  that  the  Jordan,  at 
its  ordinary  stages,  is  not  a  deep  river, 
and  that  its  waters  are  remarkably 
clear  and  transparent,  so  that  an  ob- 
ject like  this  might  probably  always 
be  seen  except  in  the  time  of  a  high 
freshet.  From  the  native  force  of 
the  Heb.  term  for  '  set  up,'  which  is 
properly  to  '  rear  up,'  '  to  erect,'  i.  e. 
to  raise  to  a  considerable  height,  it 
may  be  reasonably  inferred  that  they 
were  placed  so  as  to  be  ordinarily 
visible.  IT  In  the  place  where  the  feet 
of  ike  priests — stood.  Heb.  '  under 
the  standing-place  of  the  feet  of  the 
priests.'  It  was  here  that  the  heap  of 
stones  was  to  be  erected,  but  from 
w^hence  they  were  taken  is  not  said. 
Prom  aught  that  appears  in  the  text 
they  might  have  been  gathered  in 
sthe  adjacent  fields,  as  some  commen- 
tators have  imagined.  IT  And  they 
are  there  unto  this  day.  Either  the 
words  of  Joshua,  who  wrote  this  his- 
tory near  the  close  of  his  life,  and 
about  twenty  years  after  the  event 
occurred,  or  added  at  a  subsequent 
period  by  Samuel  or  Ezra,  or  some 
other  inspired  man  or  men  by  whom 
the  sacred  canon  was  revised. 

10.  According  to  all  that  Moses 
£onima7ided  Joshua.  It  does  not  ap- 
pear that  Moses  any  where  gave 
Joshua  a  charge  respecting  this  pas- 
sage of  Israel  over  the  Jordan.  The 
words  therefore  are  to  be  understood 
of  the  general  instructions  given  him 
by  Moses,  requiring  him  to  follow 
the  divine  conduct  in  all  particulars, 


the   people   hasted  and   passed 
over. 

11  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
all  the  people  were  clean  passed 
over,  that  the  ark  of  the  Lord 
passed  over,  and  the  priests  in 
the  presence  of  the  people. 

12  And  ''the  children  of 
R-euben,  and  the  children  of  Gad, 
and  half  the  tribe  of  Manasseh, 
passed   over  armed  before  the 


h  Num.  32.  20,  27, 


as  made  known  to  him  through  the 
agency  of  Eleazar  the  High  Priest. 
Num.  27.  21—23.  So  he  did  on  the 
present  occasion.  IF  The  people 
hasted  and  passed  over.  Perhaps 
under  some  apprehensions  that  the 
standing  mass  of  waters  on  their 
right,  might  be  suffered  to  give  way 
while  they  were  crossing.  Even 
where  the  general  acting  of  faith  is 
strong,  the  weakness  of  nature  some- 
times causes  the  spirit  to  waver.-This 
passage  of  the  Israelites  through  the 
Jordan,  is  not  improperly  considered 
as  an  emblem  of  the  christian's  trans- 
ition from  the  dreary  wilderness  of 
this  world  to  the  Canaan  that  is  above. 
When  the  time  is  arrived  for  passing 
by  that  unknown,  untrodden  path, 
we  are  apt  to  fear  lest  we  should  sink 
in  the  deep  waters,  and  never  attain 
the  wished  for  end.  But  God  has 
promised  to  be  with  us,  to  make  'the 
depths  of  the  sea  a  way  for  the  ran- 
somed to  pass  over,'  and  to  bring  us 
in  safety  to  the  land  that  floweth  with 
milk  and  honey.  The  ark  of  his  cov- 
enant will  go  before,  both  for  our 
guidance  and  protection,  and  under 
its  conduct,  we  may  cheerfully  bid 
adieu  to  the  friends  who  stand  weep- 
ing on  the  bank. 

11.  In  the  presence  of  the  people. 
Who  stood  upon  the  bank  beholding 
with  admiration  and  awe  the  last  act 
of  this  great  miracle. 

12.  Passed  over  armed  before  the 
children  of  Israel.  The  original 
phrase  heire  is  precisely  the  same 
with  that  rendered  in  the  preceding 


36 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  145li 


children   of   Israel,    as    Moses 
spake  unto  them  : 

13  About  forty  thousand  pre- 
pared for  war,  passed  over  be- 
fore the  Lord  unto  battle,  to  the 
plains  of  Jericho. 

14  IF  On  that  day  the  Lord 
imagnified  Joshua  in  the  sight  of 
all  Israel,  and  they  feared  him 
as  they  feared  Moses,  all  the 
days  of  his  life. 

15  And  the  Lord  spake  unto 
Joshua,  saying, 

16  Command  the  priests  that 
bear  ^the  ark  of  the  testimony, 
that  they  come  up  out  of  Jordan. 

i  ch.  3.  7.         k  Ex.  25.  16,  22. 


verse,  in '  the  presence  of;'  and,  as  we 
conceive,  does  not  clearly  intimate 
that  they  led  the  van,  for  the  order 
<5f  marching  of  the  different  tribes 
had  been  expressly  prescribed  in  the 
wilderness,  Num.  10;  and  it  is  not 
probable  that  it  was  departed  from 
on  this  occasion.  According  to  this 
order  the  tribe  of  Judab  had  th-e 
precedence.  What  is  affirmed  of 
the  two  tribes  and  a  half  here,  we 
suppose  is,  that  in  pursuance  of  their 
promises,  ch.  1.  16 — 18,  they  passed 
over  '  in  the  presence'  of  their  breth- 
ren, who  were  thus  all  witnesses  to 
their  fidelity. 

13.  Passed  over  before  the  Lord. 
That  is,  probably,  before  the  ark  of 
the  Lord,  the  symbol  of  the  divine 
presence.  Otherwise  it  may  imply 
•  as  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,'  '  reli- 
giously,' '  conscientiously.' 

14.  Magnified  Joshua.  Caused 
him  to  stand  high  in  the  esteem  and 
respect  of  the  people,  so  that  they 
henceforth  yielded  to  him  the  same 
reverential  fear  and  ready  obedience 
which  they  had  done  to  Moses.  God 
now  fully  confirmed  his  authority, 
and  showed  that  He  was  with  him. 
That  honor  is  ever  most  to  be  desired 
which  is  the  result  of  a  strict,  con- 
scientious, and  uniform  observance 
of  all  the  divine  precepts. 


17  Joshua  therefore  com- 
manded the  priests,  sayings 
Come  ye  up  out  of  Jordan. 

18  And  it  came  to  pass,  whert 
the  priests  that  bare  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  of  ihe  Lord  were 
come  up  out  of  the  midst  of  Jor- 
dan, and  the  soles  of  the  priests'" 
feet  were  lifted  up  unto  the  dry 
land,  that  the  waters  of  Jordan 
returned  unto  their  place,  'and 
flowed  over  all  his  banks,  as 
they  did  before. 

19  H  And  the  people  came  up 
out  of  Jordan  on  the  tenth  day 
of  the  first  month,  and  encamped 


15.  The  Lord  spake  unto  Joshua 
saying.  This  may  be  rendered  '  had 
spoken,'  and  the  whole  paragraph, 
V.  15 — 19,  be  considered  as  a  detail- 
ed account  of  what  is  stated  more 
generally,  v.  11.  These  verses  seem 
designed  to  acquaint  us  with  the 
main  ground  or  reason,  to  which, 
under  God,  it  was  owing  that  Jos-Kua 
was  so  signally  magnified  on  that  oc- 
casion. '  The  priests  did  not  quit  their 
station  till  Joshua,,  who  had  com- 
manded them  thither,  ordered  them 
thence ;  nor  did  he  thus  order  them 
till  the  Lord  commanded  him :  so 
obedient  were  all  parties  to.the  word 
of  God.'    Scott. 

18.  The  soles  of  the  priests'  feet 
were  lifted  up  mito  the  dry  land. 
Heb.  'were  plucked  up.'  As  upon 
the  entrance  into  the  river,  the  stream 
was  cut  off  as  soon  as  the  soles  of 
the  priests'  feet  touched  the  water, 
ch.  3.  15,  so  now  as  soon  as  they 
touched  the  dryland  it  again  resumes 
its  natural  course.  This  would 
make  it  evident  that  the  arrest  of  the 
river  was  the  effect  solely  of  divine 
power,  and  not  owing  to  any  secret 
natural  cause.  IT  Flowed  over  all 
his  banks  as  they  did  before.  Heb. 
*  went  as  yesterday  and  the  third 
(day)  on  all  his  banks.' 

i9.  Qfi  the  tenth  day  of  the  first 


A.  C.  1451.] 

•"in  Gilgal,    in  the  east  border 
of  Jericho. 

20  And  "those  twelve  stones 
which  they  took  out  of  Jordan, 
did  Joshua  pitch  in  Gilgal. 

21  And  he  spake  unto  the 
children  of  Israel,  saying, 
"When  your  children  shall  ask 
their  fathers  in  time  to  come, 
saying,  What  mean  these  stones  ? 

22  Then   ye  shall  let   your 

m  ch.  5.  9.        n  ver.  3.        o  ver.  6. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


37 


month.  That  is,  of  the  month  Nisan, 
just  forty  years,  lacking  five  days, 
after  their  departure  out  of  Egypt. 
This  was  four  days  before  the  an- 
nual feast  of  the  Passover,  and  on 
the  very  day  when  the  paschal  Lamb 
was  to  be  set  apart  for  this  purpose, 
Ex.  12.  3 ;  God  having  so  ordered  it 
in  his  providence,  that  their  entrance 
into  the  promised  land  should  coin- 
cide with  the  period  of  that  festival. 
^  And  encamped  in  Gilgal.  In 
the  place  afterwards  called  Gilgal, 
ch.  5.  9,  for  here  the  name  is  given 
it  by  anticipation.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  there  was  either  city  or 
town  in  that  place  before  the  arrival 
of  the  Israelites, 

20.  Did  Joshua  'pitch  in  Gilgal. 
Heb. '  erect,  rear  up.'  A  foundation 
of  stone-work  or  a  mound  of  earth, 
was  probably  first  laid,  of  consider- 
able height,  and  then  the  twelve  stones 
placed  on  the  top  of  it;  for  twelve 
such  stones  as  a  man  could  carry  six 
miles  on  his  shoulder,  could  scarcely 
have  made  any  observable  pile  or  pil- 
lar of  memorial ;  but  erected  on  such 
a  base  as  we  have  supposed,  they 
would  be  very  conspicuous,  and 
strikingly  answer  the  purpose  for 
which  they  were  designed. 

21.  Shall  ask — in  time  to  come. 
Heb. 'to-morrow.'  Seev. 6, 7.  From 
their  number,  size,  position,  &c.,  and 
from  there  not  being  any  others  near 
them  of  the  same  kind,  they  would 
naturally  excite  inquiries,  '  How 
came  these  stones  herel  What  is 

4* 


children  know,  saying,  pJsrael 
came  over  this  Jordan  on  dry 
land. 

23  For  the  Lord  your  God 
dried  up  the  waters  of  Jordan 
from  before  you,  until  ye  were 
passed  over,  as  the  Lord  your 
God  did  to  the  Red  sea,  iwhich 
he  dried  up  from  before  us,  until 
we  were  gone  over  : 

24  -^That  all   the   people  of 

p  ch.  3.  17.  q  Ex.  14.  21.  r  1  Kings  8.  42,  43. 
2  Kings  19.  19.     Ps.  106.  8. 

meant  by  them  V  This  would  afford 
to  parents  an  excellent  opportunity 
to  turn  to  account  the  inquisitiveness 
of  their  children,  to  make  them  early 
acquainted  with  the  wonderful  works 
of  God,  and  to  train  them  up  in  his 
fear.  We  should  encourage  young 
people  to  seek  instruction,  and  should 
be  glad  of  every  thing  that  may  af- 
ford us  an  occasion  of  making  known 
to  them  the  wonders  of  redeeming 
love. 

22.  Israel  came  over  this  Jordan  on 
dry  land.  In  commemoration  of 
which  remarkable  fact,  these  stones 
are  placed  here. 

23.  For  the  Lord  your  God  dried 
up  the  waters  of  Jordan  from  before 
you.  The  parents  are  still  supposed 
to  be  speaking  to  their  children.  It 
is  remarkable  that  they  address  them 
as  if  they  were  living  and  present  at 
the  miraculous  passage  of  the  Jor- 
dan, w^hereas  they  then  existed  only 
in  the  loins  of  their  fathers.  But  it  is 
not  uncommon  for  the  sacred  writers 
to  speak  of  the  nation  of  Israel, 
through  every  period  of  its  existence, 
as  if  they  were  but  of  one  generation, 
so  that  what  really  happened  to  those 
that  lived  at  one  age,  is  said  to  have 
happened  to  those  that  lived  at  ano- 
ther, perhaps  far  remote.  This  gives 
us  a  very  impressive  idea  of  the  light 
in  which  God  viewed  that  people, 
viz.  as  morally  one,  as  one  great  col- 
lective person  continually  subsisting. 
Thus  Ps.  66.  6,  the  writer  speaks  as 
if  he  and  his  contemporaries  were 


38 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


the  earth  might  know  the  hand 
of  the  Lord,  that  it  is  ^mighty  : 
that  ye  might  tfear  the  Lord 
your  God  for  ever. 

CHAPTER  V. 

AND  it  came  to  pass,  when 
all  the  kings  of  the  Amorites 

s  Ex.  15.  16.      1  Chr.  29.  12.    Ps.  89.  13.  t  Ex. 

14.  31.    Deut.  6.  2.     Pe.  89.  7.    Jer.  10.  7. 


personally  present  at  the  passage  of 
the  Red  Sea,  '  He  turned  the  sea  into 
dry  land:  they  went  through  the 
flood  on  foot ;  there  did  we  rejoice  in 
him'  though  this  happened  ages  be- 
fore their  dme.  So  also  our  Savior 
speaks  as  if  the  Jews  of  his  day  were 
living  in  the  days  of  Moses,  John  6. 
32,  *  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Moses 
gave  3/tfi<.  not  that  bread  from  heaven.' 
On  the  same  principle  Joshua  speaks 
here.  IT  The  Red  Sea,  which  he 
dried  up  from  before  us.  This  is 
another  instance  of  the  usage  just 
adverted  to.  He  speaks  of  the  Red 
Sea's  being  dried  up  from  before  the 
people  whom  he  then  addressed, 
whereas  none  of  that  generation 
were  now  living  except  himself  and 
Caleb,  the  rest  of  them  having  per- 
ished in  the  wilderness  through  unbe- 
lief and  rebellion. 


CHAPTER.  V. 

1,  And  it  came  to  pass,  &c.  As  this 
verse  is  much  more  intimately  rela- 
ted to  what  goes  before  than  to  what 
follows,  it  would  probably  have  been 
belter  to  have  joined  it  to  the  prece- 
ding chapter.  The  present  would 
then  have  commenced  with  an  en- 
tirely new  subject.  IT  All  the  kings 
of  the  Amorites — and  of  the  Canaan- 
ites.  As  the  whole  land  of  Canaan 
was  of  comparatively  small  extent, 
the  several  nations  as  they  are  called, 
which  inhabited  it,  must  have  been 
mere  clans  or  hordes,  and  what  are 
termed  their  kings  nothing  more  than 
petty  chieftains,  ruling  over  territo- 
ries scarcely  larger  than  the  coun- 
ties in  many  of  the  states  of  the 
American  union.    The  term  king^ 


which  were  on  the  side  of  Jordan 
westward,  and  all  the  kings  of 
the  Canaanites  '^which  were  by 
the  sea,  ''heard  that  the  Lord 
had  dried  up  the  waters  of  Jor- 
dan from  before  the  children  of 
Israel,  until  we  were  passed  over, 
that   their  heart    melted  ;  <^nei- 

a  Num.  13.  29.         b  Ex.  15.  14,  15.  cb.  2.  9,  10, 11. 
Pb.  48.  6.    iizek.  21.7.        c  1  Kings  10.  5. 


in  modern  usage,  conveys  the  idea 
of  a  power  and  dominion  alto- 
gether more  extensive  than  was 
possessed  by  these  petty  potentates. 
The  Amorites  and  the  Canaanites 
here  mentioned  probably  stand  for 
the  whole  of  the  devoted  nations, 
they  being  specified  on  account 
of  their  superiority  to  the  rest 
in  numbers,  power,  and  courage. 
The  nation  of  the  Amorites  occu- 
pied both  sides  of  the  Jordan ;  two 
of  their  kings,  Sihon  and  Og,  had 
already  been  slain  on  the  eastern 
side.  Deut.  4.  46,  47.  "fT  Which 
were  by  the  sea.  The  Mediterranean 
sea ;  along  the  coasts  of  which  the 
Canaanitish  tribes,properly  so  called, 
were  spread.  This  region  was  after- 
wards known  by  the  name  oi  PhcE- 
nicia,  of  which  Tyre  and  Sidon 
were  the  principal  cities.  On  this 
account  the  same  person  who  is 
called  'a  woman  of  Canaan'  by 
Matthew,  15.  22,  is  called  by  Luke, 
7.  26,  '  a  Syro-Phoenician.'  ^  Had 
dried  up  the  waters  of  Jordan. 
Which  they  regarded  as  the  natu- 
ral bulwark  of  their  country,  one  too 
strong  for  the  enemy  to  break  through , 
especially  during  the  season  of  its 
annual  overflow.  It  should  seem 
that  the  Canaanites,  if  they  had  acted 
according  to  the  rules  of  war,  would 
have  opposed  the  Israelites  in  their 
passage.  But  the  destruction  of  Pha- 
raoh at  theRed  Sea,  some  time  before, 
and  the  recent  victories  over  Sihon 
and  Og,  had  spread  such  a  panic 
through  the  land,  that  they  did  not 
dare  to  avail  themselves  of  any  sup- 
posed advantage,  lest  they  should 
perish  after   their    example.    The 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  V. 


ther  was  there  spirit  in  them 
any  more,  because  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel. 


event,  indeed,  shows  how  vain  any  at- 
tempt on  their  part  would  have  been. 
It  shows  too  that  when  the  measure  of 
any  people's  iniquities  is  full,  they 
shall  in  no  wise  escape  the  vengeance 
of  God.  Whatever  obstacles  may  ap- 
pear to  lie  in  the  way,  and  whatever 
barrier  an  ungodly  world  may  have, 
or  think  they  have,  for  their  defence, 
God  will  surely  make  a  way  for  his 
indignation.  Opposing  myriads  shall 
be  only  as  the  stubble  before  the  fire  of 
his  wrath.  IT  Until  we  were  passed 
over.  These  words  intimate  the  wri- 
ter to  have  been  one  of  the  company, 
IT  Their  heart  melted.  In  modern 
language  we  read  of  the  heart  melt- 
ing with  pity  and  being  dissolved 
"with  grief.  The  sacred  writers,  on 
this  and  similar  occasions,  apply  the 
same  metaphor,  with  equal  truth  and 
beauty,  to  the  operation  of  fear  and 
terror.  IT  Neither  was  there  spirit 
in  them  any  more.  The  special  prov- 
idence of  God  is  to  be  recognized  in 
the  panic  which  fell  upon  these  na- 
tions at  this  particular  juncture.  It 
gave  the  Israelites  just  the  opportu- 
nity they  required,  to  ad  minister  the 
rite  of  circumcision,  and  to  keep  the 
Passover  securely  and  without  dis- 
turbance. Had  it  been  other-wise, 
and  had  the  Canaanites  attacked 
ihem,  as  Simeon  and  Le\i  did  the 
ShechemiteswAeri  t^ey  were  sore,  they 
would  have  taken  them  at  every  dis- 
advantage. 

2.  At  that  time.  As  if  in  allusion  to 
the  remarkable  circumstances  by 
which  they  were  now  surrounded ; 
encamped  in  the  midst  of  an  enemy's 
country,  and  yet  that  enemy  provi- 
dentially restrained  from  harming 
them,  so  that  they  wereeommanded, 
as  if  in  their  very  sight  and  presence, 
to  reduce  themselves  to  a  condition 
of  comparative  weakness  and  help- 
lessness. '  This  formed  a  very  great 
trial  of  their  faith,  and  their  prompt 
and  universal  obedience  in  such  crit- 


2  IT  At  that  time  the  Lord 
said  unto  Joshua,  Make  thee 
''sharp  knives,  and    circumcise 


ical  circumstances,  manifested  a  con- 
fidence in  the  Lord's  protection,  and 
a  submission  to  his  will,  which  con- 
firm the  sentiment  that  this  was  the 
best  of  all  the  generations  of  Israel.' 
Scott.  IT  Make  thee  sharp  knives. 
Heb.  '  prepare,  make  ready,  knives 
of  rock,  stone,  or  flint,'  Of  such  ma- 
terials were  the  edge-tools  of  all  na- 
tions made  before  the  use  of  iron 
became  common.  At  this  day, 
among  most  of  the  savage  tribes  in- 
habiting the  islands  of  the  sea,  or 
other  barbarous  climes,  the  same 
custom  prevails.  Their  knives,  and 
also  their  arrows  and  spear-heads,  are 
made  of  stone  ;  and  similar  relics  of 
the  aborigines  of  our  own  country 
are  often  turned  up  by  the  plough. 
It  is  not  probable  that  the  Israelites 
were  altogether  strangers  to  the  use 
of  iron,  or  were  unfurnished  with 
various  metallic  tools,  as  their  difier- 
ent  fabrications  in  the  wilderness 
force  upon  us  the  belief  that  they 
must  have  employed  both  iron  and 
steel  •,  but  from  the  case  of  Zipporah, 
Ex.  4.  25,  it  appears  to  have  been  un- 
lawful to  use  any  kind  of  metal  in 
this  religious  rite,  and  this  opinion 
is  confirmed  by  the  practice  of  a  tribe 
in  Ethiopia  at  this  day,  who,  profess- 
ing to  follow  the  Mosaic  institution, 
perform  the  rite  of  circumcision,  ac- 
cording to  Ludolf,  loith  knives  of 
sto7ie.  It  is  supposed  too  that  such 
instruments  were  not  so  liable  to 
cause  inflammation,  as  knives  or 
razors  of  metal,  IT  And  circumcise 
again  the  children  of  Israel  the  second 
tiine.  Heb.  'return  (and)  circum- 
cise.' This  is  not  to  be  understood  as 
a  command  to  repeat  circumcision  on 
those  individuals  who  had  already 
received  it.  This  would  have  been 
at  once  unnecessary  and  impractica- 
ble. It  merely  implies  that  they 
were  to  renew  the  observance  of  a 
rite  which  had  been  neglected  in 
their   travels  in    the  desert.    The 


40 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


again  the  children  of  Israel  the 
second  time. 

3  And  Joshua  made  him  sharp 
knives,  and  circumcised  the  chil- 


command  -was  given  now,  at  this 
early  period  after  their  entrance  into 
the  promised  land,  (1)  That  the  re- 
proach of  Egypt  might  be  rolled 
away ;  (2)  That  they  might  be  duly 
prepared  to  celebrate  the  Passover, 
of  which  none  might  eat  who  were 
uncircumcised,  Ex.  12.  48 ;  and  (3) 
As  a  trial  of  their  faith  under  the  cir- 
cumstances in  which  they  were  now 
placed,  surrounded  by  enemies  in- 
tent upon  their  destruction,  and  who 
could  desire  no  greater  advantage 
than  such  a  crippled  state  of  their 
invaders  would  give  them.  '  There 
is  a  general  circumcision  now  of  the 
people,  as  there  had  been  at  their 
coming  out  of  Egypt ;  and  as  God 
then  closed  the  Egyptians  in  three 
day's  darkness  that  they  could  not 
stir,  so  now  he  striketh  the  Canaan- 
ites  with  terror,  that  they  dare  not 
stir  to  hurt  the  people  while  they 
"were  sore.  Circumcision  sealed  the 
lease  of  the  land  of  Canaan ;  and 
therefore  as  soon  as  they  set  foot  on 
it  they  must  be  circumcised.'  Light- 
foot.  Had  Joshua  acted  on  the  prin- 
ciples common  to  all  other  generals, 
when  invading  an  enemy's  country, 
he  would  either  have  prosecuted  his 
advantages  instantly,  while  his  ene- 
mies were  filled  with  terror,  and 
crushed  them  before  they  had  time 
to  prepare  for  their  defence ;  or  he 
would  have  fortified  his  own  camp 
to  prevent  surprise,  and  to  be  in  con- 
stant readiness  for  any  emergency 
that  might  arise.  But  instead  of 
adopting  any  military  plans  what- 
ever, the  very  day  after  he  had  in- 
vaded the  country,  without  waiting 
to  know  what  effect  the  invasion 
■would  have,  he  appoints  nearly  every 
male  in  the  congregation  to  "be  cir- 
cumcised !  Thus  by  one  act  disa- 
bling the  greater  part  of  his  whole 
army  from  even  standing  in  their 
own  defence !  What  but  a  principle 


dren  of  Israel  at  the  hill  of  the 

foreskins. 

4  And  this  is  the  cause  why 
Joshua  did  circumcise  :   *A11  the 

e  Num.  14.  29.  &  26.  64,  65.      Deut.  2. 16. 

of  the  most  triumphant  faith  could 
have  brought  them  to  submit  to  such 
an  injunction  as  this  1 

3.  And  Joshua  made  him  sharp 
knives.  That  is,  he  caused  them  to 
be  made,  they  were  made  by  his  or- 
der. IT  Circumcised  the  children  of 
Israel.  Meaning  those  of  them  who 
had  not  been  already  circumcised, 
those  who  had  been  born  in  the  wil- 
derness and  were  under  forty  years 
of  age.  This  he  did  by  means  of  his 
agents.  As  the  number  to  whom  the 
rite  was  to  be  administered  was  im- 
mensely large,  and  the  time  allotted 
for  it  short,  a  great  many  hands  must 
necessarily  have  been  engaged  in  it. 
Probably  any  one  who  was  him- 
self circumcised,  was  authorised  to 
perform  it.  In  ordinary  circum- 
stances it  is  proper  to  stand  upon  in- 
stituted observances  with  great  ex- 
actness, and  to  have  religious  rites 
performed  by  appropriate  ofiicers, 
but  when  peculiar  emergencies  arise, 
such  scrupulousness  must  sometimes 
be  waived,  and  rituals  .give  way  to 
essentials.  God  will  have  mercy  ra- 
ther than  sacrifice,  when  only  one 
can  be  rendered  him.  IF  At  the  hill 
of  the  foreskins.  So  called  from  the 
hillock  of  foreskins,  the  result  of  the 
transaction. 

4.  A7id  this  is  the  cause,  &c.  The 
omission  in  this  case  was  probably 
with  the  divine  connivance,  as  the 
people  knew  not  the  precise  times 
when  they  were  to  march,  and  a  re- 
moval immediately  after  the  opera- 
tion might  have  been  dangerous  to 
tender  infants.  Moreover,  as  one 
design  of  this  rite  was  to  distinguish 
the  Israelites  from  all  other  people, 
it  was  not  so  necessary  to  be  admin- 
istered while  they  were  secluded 
from  the  world,  for  forty  years  in  the 
wilderness.  This  instance,  however, 
is  not  to  be  pleaded  as  authorising 
the  neglect  or  postponement  of  any 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  V. 


41 


people  that  came  out  of  Egypt, 
that  were  males,  even  all  the  men 
of  war  died  in  the  wilderness  by 
the  way,  after  they  cume  out 
of  Egypt. 

5  Now  all  the  people  that 
came  out  were  circumcised ; 
but  all  the  people  thatwerehoYn 
in  the  wilderness  by  the  way 
as  they  came  forth  out  of  Egypt, 
them  they  had  not  circumcised. 

6  For  the  children  of  Israel 
walked  '■forty  years  in  the  wil- 
derness,  till  all  the  people  that 
were  men  of  war  which  came 
out  of  Egypt  were  consumed, 
because  they  obeyed  not  the 
voice  of  the  Lord:  unto  whom 
the  Lord  sware  that  she  would 

f  Num.  14  33.       Deut.  1.  3.  &  2.  7,  14.    Ps.  95.  10. 
g^u^l.  14.  23.     Ps.  95.  11.    Heb.  3.  11. 


divine    ordinance  in  common  cir- 
cumstances. 

6.  Walked  forty  years.  Led  for 
that  time  a  wandering,  unsettled  life. 
U  Woiold  not  show  them.  Heb.  '  cause 
to  see,'  i.  «.  would  not  permit  them  to 
enjoy.  Thus  Eccles.  2.  24,  '  There 
is  nothing  better  for  a  man,  than  that 
he  should  eat  and  drink,  and  that  he 
should  make  his  soul  e^ijoy  (Heb. 
cause  his  soul  to  see,)  good  in  his  la- 
bor.' Ps.  4.  6,  '  Who  will  show  us 
any  good' '?  (Heb.  who  will  cause  us 
to  see,  i.  e.  to  enjoy,  to  have  the  fru- 
ition of.) 

7.  Their  children  whom  he  raised 
%p  in  their  stead.  Or,  Heb.  '  caused 
to  stand,  made  to  survive,  preserved.' 
The  writer's  design  seems  to  be,  to 
state  a  contrast  in  the  lot  of  the  fa- 
thers and  the  children,  using  the  term 
'  raised  up/  in  opposition  to  '  con- 
sumed' in  the  preceding  verse.  The 
one  he  destroyed  for  their  rebellion, 
the  other  he  graciously  preserved 
alive,  established^  caused  to  subsist. 
See  note  on  Ex.  9.  16,  where  tbis 
sense  of  tjje  term  is  amply  cooiirmed. 


not  show  them  the  land  which 
the  Lord  sware  unto  their  fa- 
thers that  he  would  give  us,  ^a 
land  that  floweth  with  milk  and 
honey. 

7  And  'their  children,  who7}i 
he  raised  up  in  their  stead,  them 
Joshua  circumcised  :  for  they 
were  iincircumcised,  because 
they  had  not  circumcised  them 
by  the  way. 

8  And  it  came  to  pass  when 
they  had  done  circumcising  all 
the  people,  that  they  abode  in 
their  places  in  the  camp,  ''till 
they  were  whole. 

9  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Joshua,  This  day  have  I  rolled 
away   Uhe   reproach  of  Egypt 

hEx.  3.  8.  i  Num.  14.  31.  Deut.  1.39.  k  See 
Gen.  34.  25.  1  Gen.  34.  14.  1  Smih.  14.  6.  Sea 
Lev.  18.  3.  ch.  24.  14.     Ezeu  20.  7.  &  23.  3,  8. 

The  words  contain  a  fulfilment  of 
the  promise  given  in  connection  with 
the  threatening,  Num.  14.  29—31. 

8.  Till  they  toe  re  whole.  Till  they 
were  healed.  Heb. '  until  they  lived.' 
The  original  is,  in  repeated  instances, 
used  to  signify  being  restored  to  health. 
Thus  Num.  21.  8,  'Everyone  that 
is  bitten,  when  he  looketh  upon  it, 
shall  live,'  i .e.  be  recovered.  2  Kings 
8.  8, '  Shall  I  recover  of  this  disease  V 
Heb.  '  shall  I  live.'  Is.  38.  21,  '  Lay 
it  for  a  plaister  on  the  boil,  and  he 
shall  recover ;'  Heb.  '  shall  live.' 
The  particle  '  till'  does  not  imply 
that  they  abode  in  their  tents  no  longer 
than  during  the  time  of  their  recovery; 
for  they  remained  there  while  keep- 
ing the  Passover.  The  same  remark 
is  to  be  made  of  the  import  of  this 
word  in  numerous  other  instances. 

9,  This  day  have  I  rolled  aicay  the 
reproach  of  Egypt.  It  has  been  much 
disputed  by  commentators  what  is 
meant  by  the  '  reproach  of  Egypt.' 
We  take  the  expression,  in  a  very 
full  sense,  to  mean  the  reproach  con^, 
nected  with  Egypt,  in  whatever  way, 


42 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


from  off  you  :  Wherefore  the 
name  of  the  place  is  called 
"'Gilgal  unto  this  day. 


whether  activel)'-  or  passively.    (1) 
Actively  ;  inasmuch  as  the  Israelites 
themselves,  while  in  the  wilderness, 
did  virtually  reproach  the  Most  High 
in  respect  to  the  land  of  Egypt,  griev- 
ing that  they  had  left  It,  wishing 
that  they  had  died  there,  charging 
him  with  leading  them  out  thence 
lo  slay  them  in  the  desert,  and  pro- 
posing to  appoint  a  leader  and  to  re- 
turn thither.     The  14th  ch.  of  Num- 
bers details  these  murmuring  com- 
plaints, and  shows  that  God  was  ex- 
ceedingly angry  with  the  people  on 
this  account,  and  would   have  de- 
stroyed them  but  for  the  intercession 
of  Moses.     But  now  the  guilt  of  that 
conduct  was  to  be  rolled  away  or 
pardoned,  they  were  no  longer  on 
account  of  it  to  be  kept  out  of  pos- 
session of  the  promised  land ;  and 
not  only  so,  they  should  never  have 
any  more  the  least  occasion  or  in- 
ducement to  vent  such  groundless  re- 
proaches.    By  being    brought   into 
Canaan  in  so  gracious  and  glorious 
a  manner,  and  having  every  prom- 
ise fulfilled  to  them,  all  occasion  of 
complaint  was  forever  cut  off.    (2) 
Passively ;  their  bondage  in  Egypt 
was,  in  a  sense,  a  reproach  and  a 
disgrace  to  them ;  it  would  be  so  ac- 
counted by  other  nations  while  it 
continued,  and  they  would  be  dispar- 
aged by  reason  of  it.     It  is  probable 
also  that  the  Egyptians  themselves, 
seeing  them  wander  so  long  in  the 
wilderness,  reproached  and  taunted 
them,  as  if  brought  there  to  be  de- 
stroyed;   but  now,  having  entered 
Canaan  in  triumph,  and  being  put  in 
possession  of  all  the  covenanted  bles- 
sings promised  to  the  seed  of  Abra- 
ham, of  which  circumcision  was  the 
seal,  this  reproach  was  henceforth 
done  away.    Both  the  disgrace  of 
their  bondage  and  the  contemptuous 
aspersions  of  their  oppressors,  should 
cease  from  this  time  forward  forever. 
TT  l^^erefore  the  name  of  the  place  is 


10  IT  And  the  children  of  Is- 
rael encamped  in  Gilgal,  and 
kept  the  passover  °on  the  four- 


Ex.  12.  6.    Num.  9.  5. 


called  Gilgal  unto  this  day.  That 
is,  '  rolling,'  '  rolling  away.'  Gilgal 
was  situated  between  Jericho  and 
the  river  Jordan,  about  one  mile  and 
a  half,  or  two  miles,  from  the  former, 
and  six  from  the  latter.  Nothing  of 
this  city  now  remains  ;  but  travelers 
are  shown  a  pile  of  stones  denomin- 
ated Galgala,  which,  though  at  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  site 
of  the  ancient  Gilgal,  is  supposed  by 
some  to  be  the  monument  erected  by 
Joshua.  The  clause  '  unto  this  day/ 
sufficiently  indicates  that  the  events 
related  in  the  book  of  Joshua,  or  at 
least  in  this  part  of  it,  were  not  con- 
signed to  writing  immediately  upon 
their  occurrence,  but  after  the  lapse 
of  some  considerable  time. 

10.  And  kept  the  Passover.  Heb. 
'  and  made  the  passover.'  The  third 
from  its  institution.  The  first  was 
observed  in  Egj'pt  on  the  eve  of  their 
departure,  the  second  at  Sinai  on  the 
following  year.  Num.  9.  1,  "2,  \v\n\e 
during  the  long  interval  down  to  the 
present  time  it  had  been  wholly  sus- 
pended. Amos,  5.25.  IT  On  the 
fonrteenth  day  of  the  month.  That 
IS,  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  first 
month,  or  Nisan. — ^From  this  re- 
markable portion  of  the  sacred  nar- 
rative we  may  learn,  (1)  That  in. 
whatever  circumstances  we  are  pla- 
ced, religion  should  be  our  first  con- 
cern. If  ever  there  were  circum- 
stances which  would  seem  to  justify 
the  postponement  of  religious  du- 
ties, one  would  think  they  were  those 
of  Joshua  on  this  occasion,  when  he 
had  but  just  set  foot  on  the  land  where 
great  and  powerful  nations  were 
prepared  to  combat  for  their  very  ex- 
istence. We  know  how  common  it 
is  for  military  and  naval  command- 
ers to  act  as  if  they  thought  they 
had  a  dispensation  to  neglect  the  or- 
dinances of  religion,  on  account  of 
the  urgency  and  importance  of  their 
occupations.    And  the   same  idea 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPITER  V. 


43 


teenth  day  of  the  month  at  even, 
in  the  plains  of  Jericho. 


prevails  throughout  almost  all  orders 
of  society.  Every  one  is  ready  to 
plead  his  temporal  engagements  as 
an  excuse  for  neglecting  the  con- 
cerns of  his  soul.  The  statesman  is 
too  much  engaged  in  politics ;  the 
merchant  in  his  business ;  the  phil- 
osopher in  his  researches ;  the  stu- 
dent in  his  books ;  and  the  profes- 
sional man  in  the  duties  of  his  call- 
ing, to  find  time  for  the  one  thing 
needful.  But  if  Joshua,  under  his 
peculiar  circumstances,  sought  first 
to  serve  and  honor  God,  who  then 
can  plead  an  exemption  1  Compared 
with  the  divine  favor  is  there  an  ob- 
ject under  heaven  worthy  of  a 
thought  1  (2)  That  in  whatever  cir- 
cumstances we  are  placed,  we  should 
place  the  most  implicit  confidence  in 
God.  Suppose  we  were  in  the  pre- 
sence of  Joshua  while  these  religious 
ceremonies  were  going  on,  we  might 
be  disposed  to  ask, '  are  you  not  in  an 
enemy's  landl  and  have  you  not  many 
conflicts  to  maintain  ere  you  can  get 
a  quiet  possession  of  it  7  yet  you  seem 
as  much  at  your  ease  as  if  the  whole 
land  were  already  subdued  before 
you.'  What  reply  may  we  suppose 
Joshua  would  make  to  observations 
like  these  1  '  True,'  he  would  say, 
*  you  behold  me  in  a  state  of  as  much 
quietness  and  confidence  as  if  I  had 
not  an  enemy  to  contend  with.  But 
whose  battles  am  I  fighting  1  In 
whose  service  am  I  engaged  1  Is 
there  any  device  or  power  that  can 
succeed  against  God '?  In  him  I  trust ; 
and  he  it  is  that  keeps  my  mind  in 
perfect  peace.'  Now  in  our  spiritu- 
al warfare  we  stand  upon  virtually 
the  same  ground  that  Joshua  did. 
We  are  called  to  it  as  he  was ;  and 
it  is  the  way  appointed  for  our  get- 
ting possession  of  our  destined  inher- 
itance. We  also  have  our  enemies  at 
hand,withwhom,in  our  own  strength, 
it  would  be  impossible  for  us  to  cope. 
But  our  God  is  for  us,  and  confiding 
in  him,  we  may  bid  a  calm  defiance 
to  the  most  malignant  powers  of  dark- 


11   And  they  did  eat  of  the 
old  corn  of  the  land  on  the  mor- 


ness.  In  our  temporal  trials  also,  en- 
countered in  the  way  of  duty,  we  are 
required  to  exercise  the  same  cheer- 
ful trust,  for  he  Avho  has  called  us  to 
them,  will  sustain  us  in  them. 

11.  And  they  did  eat  of  the  old  corn 
of  the  land.  Of  the  old  ^raiTi  of  what- 
ever kind  it  were.  This  they  prob- 
ably found  in  abundance  in  the  de- 
serted granaries  of  the  inhabitants 
who-had  fled  away,  and  betaken  them- 
selves for  safety  to  the  defenced  city 
of  Jericho.  The  original  phrase 
however  may  be  rendered  simply, 
'  They  did  eat  o1i  the  product  ox  yield- 
ing of  the  earth,'  in  contradistinction 
from  the  manna  which  came  from 
heaven.  ^  Andparchedcorn.  That 
is,  the  new  corn  of  the  present  year, 
which  they  found  standing  in  the 
fields.  The  new  or  green  corn  was 
parched  to  enable  them  more  easily 
to  grind  it  for  food.  This  would  not 
be  necessary  in  respect  to  old  corn. 
IT  On  the  morroio  after  the  Passover. 
Meaning,  probably,  on  the  sixteenth 
day  of  the  month ;  for  the  paschal 
lamb  was  killed  and  roasted  on  the 
fourteenth,  and  the  feast  began  that 
nightjWhich,  according  to  their  reck- 
oning, formed  a  part  of  the  fifteenth 
day,  through  the  wholeof  which  the 
feast  continued,  so  that  the  sixteenth 
day  was  the  morroto  after  the  Pass- 
over, when  they  were  required  by  the 
Law  (Lev.  23. 10,  11.)  to  offer  to  God 
the  wave-sheaf  of  the  first  fruits,  and 
then  were  allowed  to  eat  the  rest. 
IT  In  the  self-same  day.  Perhaps  im- 
porting the  very  great  eagerness  of 
the  people  to  feast  upon  the  fruits  of 
the  land  as  soon  as  they  might  law- 
fully do  it.  Having  previously  re- 
newed their  covenant  with  God  and 
partaken  of  its  seals,  circumcision 
and  the  passover,  they  wished  at  once 
to  enter  upon  the  enjoyment  of  all 
the  rights  and  privileges  thereby  con- 
firmed to  them. 

12.  And  the  manna  ceased  on  the 
morrow.  Because  it  was  now  no 
longer  necessary.    God  Avould  not 


44 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451'. 


row  after  the  passover,  unleav- 
ened cakes  and  parched  corn  in 
the  self.same  day. 

12  H  And  °the  manna  ceased 
on  the  morrow  after  they  had 
eaten  of  the  old  corn  of  the  land  ; 
neither  had  the  children  of  Is- 
rael manna  any  more  ;  but  they 


have  us  expect  extraordinary  or  mi- 
raculous supplies  when  they  may  be 
procured  by  ordinary  means.  The 
sudden  cessation  of  the  manna  would 
teach  the  people  also  very  impres- 
sively that  it  was  not  an  ordinary 
production  of  nature,  that  it  had  not 
fallen  for  so  long  a  time  by  chance, 
or,  like  the  dew,  in  consequence  of 
fixed  laws,  but  tliat  it  was  a  special 
and  preternatural  gift  of  the  divine 
goodness.  We  are  prone  to  look 
upon  our  common  mercies  as  mat- 
ters of  course,  and  God  sometimes 
, withdraws  them  to  teach  us  our  de- 
pendence more  effectually. — '  The 
word  and  ordinances  of  God  are  spir- 
itual manna,  with  which  God  nour- 
ishes his  people  in  this  wilderness, 
but  when  we  come  to  the  heavenly 
Canaan,  this  manna  will  cease,  for 
we  shall  then  no  longer  have  need 
of  it.'     Henry. 

13.  When  Joshua  was  by  Jericho. 
Heb.  '  in  Jericho;'  i.  e.  in  "the  plains 
of  Jericho,  in  the  country  or  terri- 
tory immediately  adjoining  Jericho, 
and  called  by  the  same  name,  prob- 
ably at  some  distance  from  the  camp, 
whither  he  may  have  repaired  for 
the  purpose  of  observing  in  person 
the  position  of  the  city  and  the  most 
favorable  point  of  attack.  The 
sixth  chapter  ought  certainly  to  have 
commenced  here,  as  the  subject  now 
entered  upon  is  entirely  new,  and 
the  present  arrangement  most  unnat- 
urally divides  the  communication 
which  Joshua  had  with  the  angel, 
and  which  is  continued  to  ch.  6.  5. 
IF  There  stood  a  man,.  One  in  the 
appearance  of  a  man^  one  whom 
Joshua  at  first  took  for  a  man.    That 


did  eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  land  of 
Canaan  that  year. 

13  IT  And  it  came  to  pass 
when  Joshua  was  by  Jericho, 
that  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and 
looked,  and  behold,  there  stood 
Pa  man  over  against  him  "^wUh 
his  sword  drawn  in  his  hand  : 

p  Gen.  18.  2.   &  32.  2».      Ex.  23.  23.      Zecli.  1.  8, 
AclE.  1.  10.        q  Num.  22.  23. 


he  was  a  super-human  being,  how- 
ever, is  evident  from  what  follows ; 
and  there  seems  no  good  reason  to 
dissent  from  the  established  opinion 
of  both  ancient  and  modern  exposi- 
tors that  this  was  no  other  than  the 
Son  of  God,  the  Eternal  Word,  ap- 
pearing in  that  form  which  he  was 
afterwards  to  assume  for  the  redemp- 
tion of  men.  The  reasons  for  this 
opinion  are,  (1)  The  title  which  he 
here  gives  himself,  '  Captain  of  the 
host  of  the  Lord,'  which  is  but  ano- 
ther form  of  the  name  '  Lord  of  hosts,' 
implying  the  ruler  of  all  the  hea- 
venly hosts,  and  which  is  evidently 
the  appropriate  title  of  Jehovah- Je- 
sus. (2)  His  acceptance  of  the  wor- 
ship or  adoration  which  Joshua  here 
pays  him.  This  an  angel  or  any 
created  being  would  undoubtedly 
have  refused.  Comp.  Rev.  19.  10. 
22.  9.  Judg.  13.  16.  Here,  however, 
instead  of  reproving  Joshua  for  do- 
ing him  too  much  honor,  he  com- 
mands him  to  do  still  more,  by  '  loos- 
ing his  shoes  from  off  his  feet;'  thus 
insisting  upon  the  highest  acknowl- 
edgement of  the  divine  presence 
which  was  in  use  among  the  eastern 
nations.  (3)  From  the  place  being 
made  holy  by  his  presence,  which 
was  the  special  prerogative  of  God,. 
Ex.  3.  5  ;  and  (4)  From  his  being  ex- 
pressly called  'Jehovah,'  ch.  6.  2, 
which  passage  undoubtedly  forms 
a  part  of  the  present  narrative, 
as  otherwise  he  must  have  appear- 
ed without  any  ostensible  object, 
neither  delivering  any  message, 
making  any  promise,  nor  uttering 
any  command,  except  merely  that 
Joshua  should  loose  his  shoes  from 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  V. 


and  Joshua  went  unto  him,  and 
said  unto  him,  Art  thou  for  us, 
or  for  our  adversaries  ? 

14  And  he  said,  Nay;  but 
as  captain  of  the  host  of  the 
Lord  am  I  now  come.  And 
Joshua  '■fell  on  his  face  to  the 
earth,  and  did  worship,  and  said 

r  Gen.  17.  3. 

his  feet.-  VOver  against  Kim.  As  if 
with  a  hostile  intent,  in  somewhat  of 
a  threatening^  attitude.  The  same 
phrase  in  the  original  occurs  Dan. 
10.  13,  'Theprince  of  the  kingdom  of 
Persia /ri^/i5ioo(Zme(Heb. 'stood  over 
against  me.)'  IT  With  his  drawn  sword 
in  his  hand.  As  a  symbol  of  the  char- 
acter in  which  he  was  now  to  mani- 
fest himself  in  behalf  of  Joshua  and 
Israel.  So  he  is  elsewhere  termed, 
'A  man  of  war,'  Ex.  15.  3.  His  ap- 
pearing in  this  form  would  serve  also 
not  only  to  justify  the  war  in  which 
Joshua  was  now  engaged,  to  show 
him  that  it  was  of  God,  who  had  given 
him  his  commission  to  kill  and  slay, 
but  to  encourage  him  to  prosecute  it 
with  vigor.  If  God  was  for  him, 
who  could  be  against  him  1  He  had 
indeed  previously  received  many 
promises  of  success,  but  God  is  often 
graciously  pleased  to  confirm  and 
follow  up  his  promises,  by  signal 
manifestations  of  his  presence  and 
favor :  '  Thou  meetest  him  that  re- 
joiceth  and  worketh  righteousness, 
those  that  remember  thee  in  thy 
ways.''  IT  And  Joshua  icent  unto 
him.  Displaying  herein  a  remark- 
able courage  and  intrepidity.  In- 
stead of  turning  away  from  the  for- 
midable personage  before  him,  and 
seeking  hastily  to  regain  the  camp, 
he  walks  boldly  up,  and  demands  of 
him  whether  he  be  a  friend  or  a  foe. 
This  undaunted  bearing  was  the  fruit 
of  his  strong  confidence  in  God.  No 
face  of  clay  will  intimidate  him  who 
looks  upon  God  as  his  friend  and 
protector,  and  who  is  found  in  the 
■way  of  duty.  It  is  the  disobedient, 
the  obstinate,  the  rebellious  spirit,  in 


unto  him,  What  saith  my  lord 
unto  his  servant  T 

15  And  the  captain  of  the 
Lord's  host  said  unto  Joshua, 
"Loose  thy  shoe  from  off  thy  foot, 
for  the  place  whereon  thou 
standest  is  holy  :  and  Joshua 
did  so, 

s  Ex.  3.  5.     Acts  7.  33. 


which  cowardice  dwells.     The  good 
man  is  ever  the  true  hero. 

14.  And  he  said,  Nay,-  but  as  cap- 
tain  of  the  host  of  the  Lord  am  I  now 
come.  '  I  am  neither  Israelite  nor 
Canaanite,  neither  friend  nor  foe  in 
your  sense  of  the  words,  for  I  am  not 
a  mortal  man,  but  as  prince  and 
leader  of  the  Lord's  host,  of  the  an- 
gels in  heaven,  and  even  of  that  very 
power  of  which  you  are  commander, 
have  I  now  come,  to  instruct  and  aid 
thee  in  the  great  undertaking  in 
which  thou  art  engaged.'  He  prob- 
ably at  the  same  moment  put  forth 
some  visible  demonstration  of  his 
true  character,  which  at  once  satis- 
fied Joshua,  and  filled  him  with  an 
overwhelming  sense  of  his  majesty 
and  glory,  so  that  he  instinctively 
fell  on  his  face  to  the  earth,  and  of- 
fered him  those  tokens  of  worship 
which  a  mortal  is  bound  to  pay  ta 
his  Creator.  IT  What  saith  my 
Lord  unto  his  servant?  With  the 
profoundest  reverence  I  acknowl- 
edge thee  as  my  Lord  and  leader^ 
I  subject  myself  to  thy  sovereign  will, 
and  humbly  wait  for  the  orders  it 
may  seem  good  to  thee  lo  issue. 

15.  Loose  thy  shoe  from  off  thy  foot. 
This  was  a  token  of  respect  and"  rev- 
erence usual  in  the  east,  and  equiv- 
alent to  uncovering  the  head  with 
us.  (See  Illustrations  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, p.  129.)  The.se  are  the  same 
words  which  the  angel  of  the  burn- 
ing bush  spake  to  Moses,  Ex.  3.  5, 
from  which , and  other  circumstances, 
it  is  probable  that  it  was  the  same 
person  who  appeared  in  both  places. 
That  great  and  glorious  Being,  who 
knows  fully  his  own  infinite  perfec* 


46 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


N 


CHAPTER  VI. 

OW    Jericho    was    strait!  y 
shut    up,    because    of  the 


tions,  which  we  are  very  inadequate 

to  comprehend,  knows  what  external  i 
manifestations  of  respect  they  justly  \ 
claim  of  his  creatures.  '  Outward  ' 
expressionsof  inward  reverence,  and  ; 
a  religious  awe  of  God,  well  become 
us,  and  are  required  of  us,  whenever 
we  approach  to  him  in  solemn  ordi- 
nances.' Henry.  U  The  place  v:  he  re- 
on  thou  standesl  is  holy.  Heb.  '  is 
holiness.'  It  was  for  the  time  made 
holy,  or  consecrated  by  the  divine 
presence.  As  soon  as  ihat  was  with- 
drawn, its  peculiar  sacredness  also 
forsook  it,  and  it  was  no  more  holy 
than  an)^  other  place.  Yet  with  the 
pious  heart  there  will  naturally  be, 
from  the  laws  of  association,  a  feel- 
ing of  reverence  for  any  place  where 
God  has  been  pleased  to  vouchsafe 
the  special  manifestations  of  himself. 
Such  a  sentiment,  however,  should 
be  guarded  from  degenerating  into 
superstition. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

We  fully  assent  to  the  remark  of 
Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  that  there  is 
scarcely  a  more  unfortunate  division 
of  chapters  in  the  whole  Bible  than 
here.  According  to  the  present  ar- 
rangement, the  reader  is  greatly  at  a 
loss  to  know  what  is  intended  by  this 
extraordinary  appearance  of  the  Son 
of  God,  as  it  would  seem  that  the 
whole  account  of  his  visit  is  closed 
with  the  foregoing  chapter,  where- 
as in  fact  it  is  continued  in  the  pre- 
sent. The  first  verse  of  ch.  6,  is  a 
mere  parenthesis,  relating  the  state 
of  Jericho  at  the  time  that  Joshua 
was  favored  by  this  encouraging  vis- 
ion. The  thread  of  the  narrative  re- 
specting this  divine  personage,  com- 
menced in  the  preceding  chapter,  is 
then  resumed,  and  continued  to  v.  5. 
1.  Noio  Jericho  was  siraitly  shut 
up.  Strictly,  closely  shut  up.  Heb. 
*  did  shut  up  and  was  shut  up,'  or 
^closing  and  was  closed.'  The  ori- 
ginal expression  is  peculiar  and  em- 


child  ren    of  Israel:  none   went 
out,  and  none  came  in. 

2  And   the    Lord    said  unto 

phatic,  and  was  doubtless  designed 
to  imply  the  extreme  care  and  vigi- 
lance with  which  the  gates  had  been 
closed  and  were  watched,  not  only 
by  night,  as  when  the  spies  came, 
ch.  2.  5,  but  also  by  day.  Accord- 
ingly the  Chal.  renders  it, '  And  Jer- 
icho was  shut  up  with  iron  doors  and 
fortified  with  brazen  bolts,  so  that 
none  came  out  either  to  combat  or  to 
make  offers  of  peace.'  The  lan- 
guage also  intimates,  that  the  city 
was  not  only  effectually  shut  up  and 
made  secure  from  within,  but  was 
also  so  closely  blockaded  by  the  Is- 
raelites from  without,  that  there  was 
no  going  out  or  coming  in  even  to 
its  own  citizens.  ^  Because  of  the 
children  of  Israel.  Heb.  'before  the 
children  of  Israel.'  '  Meihinks  I  see 
how  they  called  their  council  of  war, 
debatedof  all  means  of  defence,  gath- 
ered their  forces,  trained  their  sol- 
diers, set  strong  guards  to  the  gates 
and  walls ;  and  now  would  persuade 
one  another  that  unless  Israel  could 
fly  into  their  city,  the  siege  was  vain. 
(So)  vain  worldlings  think  their 
ramparts  and  barricadoes  can  keep 
out  the  vengeance  of  God;  their 
blindness  suffers  them  to  look  no  fur- 
ther than  the  means ;  the  supreme 
hand  of  the  Almighty  comes  not 
within  the  compass  of  their  fears. 
Every  carnal  heart  is  a  Jericho  shut 
up ;  God  sets  down  before  it,  and  dis- 
plays mercy  and  judgment  in  sight 
of  the  walls  thereof:  it  hardens  itself 
in  a  wilful  security,  and  saith,  •'  Aha, 
I  shall  never  be  rnoved."  Bp.  Hall. 
2.  A7id  the  Lord  said  unto  Joshua. 
That  is,  after  Joshua  had  loosed  his 
shoes  from  off"  his  feet,  as  command- 
ed above,  ch.  5.  15.  He  who  was  be- 
fore called  the  '  Captain  of  the  Lord's 
host,'  is  here  called  *  Lord '  or  '  Jeho- 
vah,' thus  clearly  proving  that  it  was 
a  divine  personage;  for  who  else 
could  promise  and  perform  what  fol- 
lows *?  IT  /  have  given  into  thy 
hand  Jericho.    Not  only  I  will  do  it, 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VI. 


47 


Joshua,  See,  ^I  have  given  into 
thy  hand  Jericho,  and  the  '^king 
thereof,  and  the  mighty  men  of 
valor. 

3  And   ye  shall   compass  the 
city,  all  ?/e  men  of  war,  and  go 

a  Ch  2.  9,  24   &  &.  1.        b  Deut.  7.  24. 


but  I  have  done  it;  it  is  all  thine 
own,  as  surely  as  if  it  were  even  no\v 
in  thy  possession.  IT  And  the  mighti/ 
men  of  valor.  The  copulative  '  and ' 
does  not  occur  here  in  the  Hebrew. 
The  proper  rendering  is,  '  I  have 
given  into  thy  hand  Jericho  and  the 
king  thereof,  (who  are,  or,  although 
they  are)  mighty  men  of  valor,'  i.  e. 
experienced  and  powerful  warriors, 
men  with  vrhoni,  if  you  were  to  con- 
tend on  ordinary  terms,  you  would 
be  unable  to  cope,  but  whom,  through 
my  assistance,  you  shall  utterly  over- 
throw. A  city,  in  Scripture  slyle,  is 
often  taken,  not  for  a  collection  of 
houses  and  icalls,  but  for  the  iahabit- 
nnts^  an  assemblage  of  people  dwell- 
ing together  in  a  corporate  capacity. 
The  same  distinction  holds  between 
the  Latin  nrbs  and  civitas.  By  Jeri- 
cho and  its  king,  is  here  meant  the 
inhabitants  and  their  king,  and  they 
are  spoken  of  collectively  as '  mighty 
men'of  valor.' 

3.  And  go  round  about  the  city  once, 
Heb.  '  by  going  round  about  the  city 
i)nce/  IT  Thus  shalt  thou  do  six 
days.  The  address  is  here  made  to 
Joshua  in  the  singular  number,  as 
the  commander  and  representative 
iif  the  people.  In  the  preceding 
clause  the  plural  is  used.  Such 
changes  of  person  are  frequent,  and 
always  worthy  of  attention^  as  show- 
ing the  constructive  unity  of  people 
and  their  leaders.— -It  seemed  good  to 
infinite  wisdom  to  appoint  this 
method  of  besieging  the  city,  (1)  To 
magnify  his  power,  to  show  in  a  con- 
vincing manner,  both  to  the  Canaan- 
ites  and  to  Israel,  that  Om.nipotence 
alone  had  achieved  the  work,  that 
he  was  inftniteiy  above  the  need  of 
ihe  ordinary  means  of  obtaining  a 
yjletorj,  and  to  rejxder  those  of  his  en- 


rourd  about  the  city  once :  thus 
shalt  thou  do  six  days. 

4  And  seven  priests  shall  bear 
before  the  ark  seven  'trumpets 
of  rams'  horns  :  and  the  seventh 
day  ye  shall    compass   the   city 


c  See  Jiidg.  7.  16,  22. 


emies  entirely  inexcusable  who 
should  presume  to  withstand  his  re- 
sistless arm.  (2)  To  try  the  faith  and 
obedience  of  Joshua  and  his  people, 
by  prescribing  a  course  of  conduct 
that  seemed  to  human  wisdom  the 
height  of  folly  and  absurdity,  and 
also  to  secure  a  profound  respect  to 
all  his  subsequent  institutions,  how- 
ever simple  or  contemptible  they 
might  seem  to  the  eye  of  carnal  rea- 
son. (3)  To  put  honor  upon  the  ark 
as  the  appointed  token  of  his  pre- 
sence, and  to  confirm  still  more  fully 
that  veneration  and  aM^e,  with  which 
they  had  always  been  taught  to  re- 
gard it. 

4.  Seven  trumpets  of  rams''  horns, 
Heb.  Q'^^iiTi  m^iCld  trumpets  of  the 
jubilee,  i.  e.  such  trumpets  as  used 
to  be  blown  in  the  year  of  jubilee, 
impiying,  perhaps,  that  the  entrance 
of  Israel  into  Canaan  was  a  kind  of 
jubilee  to  them,  an  occasion  that 
called  rather  for  the  sound  of  the 
trumpet  of  joy,  than  the  dreadful 
notes  of  the  trumpet  of  war.  No 
other  scriptural  instance  is  adduced^ 
in  which  the  word  b-i"'  J^obel  is 
translated  ram,  though  it  be  true  that 
the  Chaldee  paraphrase  favors  that 
rendering.  But  its  single  authority 
on  the  point  is  not  conclusive.  The 
like  phrase  in  v.  5,  is,  in  the  original 
bsT^  "Pp  /i^r??,  of  jubilee,  and  proves 
only  that  horns  were  used,  without 
restricting  the  meaning  to  rams* 
korns.  Si  ill  the  sense  ofravis^  horns, 
as  a  traditionary  sense,  seems  for 
ages  to  have  connected  itself  with 
the  phrase,  grounded,  we  presume,  on 
the  fact,  that  the  trumpets  in  question 
were  made  in  the  shape  of  the  horns 
of  this  animal,  and  the  appellation 
^  horn  of  jubilee*  may  be  used  figu^ 
ratively  for  trumpet  of  jubilee,  ju§t 


48 


JOSHUA. 


lA.  C.  1451. 


seven    times,    and    ''the   priests 
shall  blow  with  the  trumpets. 

5  And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
that  when  they  make  a  long 
blast  with  the  ram's  horn,  and 
when  ye  hear  the  sound  of  the 
trumpet,  all  the  people  shall 
shout  with  a  great  shout  :  and 
the  wall  of  the  city  shall  fall 
down  flat,  and  the  people  shall 
ascend  up  every  man  straight 
before  him. 

6  IT  And    Joshua  the  son   of 


as  with  us  a  well  known  musical  in- 
strument of  brass  is  called  'a  horn' 
from  its  form,  and  another  called  '  a 
serpent '  for  the  same  reason.  IT  The 
seventh  day  ye  shall  compass  the  city 
seven  times.  The  time  was  thus 
lengthened  out,  both  to  afford  a  con- 
tinued exercise  of  the  faith  and  pa- 
tience of  the  people,  and  that  the  be- 
sieged and  besiegers  might  be  the 
more  deeply  impressed  with  that 
supernatural  power  by  which  the 
result  was  to  be  accomplished.  Men 
are  usually  prone  to  precipitate 
measures.  God  moves  deliberate- 
ly, and  he  would  have  his  people 
wait  his  time.  '  He  that  believeth 
shall  not  make  haste.'  '  It  is  the 
pleasure  of  God  to  hold  us  both  in 
work  and  in  expectation,  and  though 
he  require  our  continual  endeavors 
for  the  subduing  of  our  corruptions, 
during  the  six  days  of  our  life,  yet 
we  shall  never  find  it  perfectly  effec- 
ted till  the  very  evening  of  our  last 
day.'  Bp.  Hall.  The  repeated  men- 
tion of  the  number  seven  in  this  con- 
nection is  worthy  of  notice.  It  has 
been  suggested  fhat  it  might  have  a 
latent  reference  to  the  creation  of 
the  world  in  six  days,  and  God's 
resting  on  the  seventh,  which  com- 
pleted the  first  week,  and,  in  the  pre- 
sent case,  that  it  may  convey  an  allu- 
sion to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel 
for  a  limited  period  of  time,  at  the 
close  of  which,  perhaps,  early  in  the 
seyemh  thousand  years,  all  Satan's 


Nun  called  the  priests,  and  said 
unto  them,  Take  up  the  ark  of 
the  covenant,  and  let  seven 
priests  bear  seven  trumpets  of 
rams'  horns  before  the  ark  of  the 
Lord. 

7  And  he  said  unto  the  peo- 
ple, Pass  on,  and  compass  the 
city,  and  let  him  that  is  armed 
pass  on  before  the  ark  of  the 
LoitD. 

8  IT  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  Joshua   had  spoken   unto 

remaining  bulwarks  shall  fall  to  the 
ground,  and  the  kingdoms  of  this 
world  become  the  kingdoms  of  the 
Lord  and  of  his  Christ, 

5.  The  wall  of  the  city  shall  fall 
down  flat.  Not  absolutely  all  the 
wall  in  the  whole  extent  of  its  com- 
pass, since  that  would  have  involved 
the  house  of  Rahab  in  the  destruc- 
tion, which,  it  is  plain,  was  not  in- 
tended, nor  did  it  happen,  v.  22.  As 
the  city  was  completely  surrounded 
by  the  Israelites,  the  falling  of  the 
walls  would  give  the  inhabitants  no 
opportunity  of  escape.  They  could 
not  break  through  the  array  of  armed 
men  that  hemmed  them  in.  The 
original  for  '  fall  down  flat'  is  '  fall 
down  under  itself,'  or  '  in  its  place,* 
which  appears  to  mean  simply,  that 
the  wall  should  fall  down  to  its  very 
foundations.  IT  Ascend  up  every 

man  straight  before  him.  The  ob- 
struction of  the  wall  being  removed, 
nothing  stood  in  the  way  of  the  peo- 
ple's advancing  in  a  direct  line,  as  if 
from  the  circumference  to  the  centre 
of  a  circle,  and  meeting  in  the  heart 
of  the  city.  This  is  called  '  going 
up'  or  '  ascending,'  from  the  necessity 
there  was  of  climbing  over  the  ruins 
of  the  walls  on  their  way.  Besides 
which  it  is  common,  in  nearly  all  lan- 
guages, to  describe  the  approach  to  a 
city  as  a  *  going  up'  to  it.  After  giv- 
ing these  directions,  the  Angel-Jeho- 
vah no  doubt  departed. 

8  Passed  on  before  the  Lord.    That 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VI. 


49 


the  people,  that  the  seven  priests 
bearing  the  seven  trumpets  of 
rams'  horns  passed  on  before 
the  Lord,  and  blew  with  the 
trumpets  :  and  the  ark  of  the 
covenant  of  the  Lord  followed 
them. 

9  1[  And  the  armed  men  went 
before  the  priests  that  blew  with 
the  trumpets,  •'and  the  rere-ward 
came  after  the  ark,   the  priests 


is,  as  we  suppose,  before  the  ark  of 
the  Lord,  v.  4  and  ch.  3.  11.  IT  The 
ark  of  the  covenant.  The  ark  in 
which  were  deposited  the  two  ta- 
bles whereon  the  covenant  was  writ- 
ten. 

9.  And  the  armed  men.  Heb,  '  the 
armed  man,'  i.  e.  each  armed  man 
collect  sin^.  for  plur.  IT  The 
rereward.  The  hinder  part.  The  or- 
iginal DOJ^IO  massaph,  comes  from 
tlDS^  cisaph,  .to  collect^  to  gather  up, 
and  is  equivalent  to  our  military 
phrase  bringing  up  the  rear,  and 
not  improperly  rendered  in  the  mar- 

fin,  '  gathering  host,'  It  implies  a 
ind  and  protecting  care  towards 
those  who  are  its  objects.  The  same 
phraseology  occurs,  Is,  52.  12,  *  The 
Lord  will  go  before  you,  and  the 
God  of  Israel  will  be  your  rereward, 
(Heb.  your  gatherer,)'  Ps.  27.  10. 
"  When  my  father  and  my  mother 
forsake  me,  then  the  the  Lord  will 
take  me  up.  (Heb.  will  gather  me.)' 
A  rereward  therefore  is  that  portion 
of  an  army  which,  moving  behind 
the  main  body,  gathers  up  all  the 
stragglers,  takes  care  of  any  that 
may  faint  and  fall  by  the  way,  sees 
that  neither  cattle  nor  baggage  are 
missing,  and  protects  or  covers  the 
rear  of  the  host  from  the  assault  of 
enemies.  The  Jews  think  the  di- 
vision of  Dan  is  meant,  which  al- 
ways brought  up  the  rear.  Num.  10. 

10.  Nor  make  any  noise  with  your 
voice.  Heb.  '  nor  cause  your  voice  to 
be  heard.'  They  were  not  only  re- 
quired to  abstain  from  shouting,  but 

5* 


going  on,  and   blowing  with  the 
trumpets. 

10  And  Joshua  had  com- 
manded the  people,  saying,  Ye 
shall  not  shout,  nor  make  any 
noise  with  your  voice,  neither 
shall  any  word  proceed  out  of 
your  mouth,  until  the  day  I  bid 
you  shout,  then  shall  ye  shout. 
11  So  the  ark  of  the  Lord 
compassed  the  city,  going  about 


to  observe  a  profound  silence  in  eve- 
ry respect.  This  would  be  expressive 
of  a  reverent  awe  in  anticipation  of 
the  event ;  and  would  preclude  all 
danger  of  mistake  as  to  the  precise 
time  when  they  were  required  to 
shout.  If  noise  of  any  kind  had  been 
allowed,  they  might  have  taken  it  for 
the  signal  of  a  general  acclamation. 
This  would  not  only  have  been  in- 
effectual before  the  appointed  time, 
but  would  have  rendered  them  the 
derision  of  their  enemies. 

1 1 .  S**?  the  ark  of  the  Lord  compass- 
ed the  city.  Or,  'so  he  caused  the 
ark  of  the  Lord  to  compass  the  city.' 
The  original  will  admit  of  either  ren- 
dering. The  procession  imdoubtedly 
moved  at  a  sufficient  distance  to  be  oiit 
of  the  reach  of  the  enemy's  arrows 
and  out  of  the  hea  ring  of  their  scoffs. 
They  must  have  looked  with  a  very 
contemptuous  eye  upon  such  an  un- 
warlike  mode  of  assault,  and  when 
day  after  day  passed  and  no  effect  fol- 
lowed, would  naturally  become  hard- 
ened in  security,  and  think  the  whole 
the  mere  mockery  of  a  siege,  a  sense- 
less and  childish  parade.  Thus  they 
would  cry  '  peace  and  safety,'  while 
sudden  destruction  was  coming  upon 
them.  '  There  was  never  so  strange  a 
siege  as  this  of  Jericho:  here  was  no 
mount  raised,  no  sword  drawn,  no 
engine  planted,  no  pioneers  under- 
mining ;  here  were  trumpets  sound- 
ed, but  no  enemy  seen  ;  here  were 
armed  men,  but  no  stroke  given; 
they  must  walk,  and  not  fight ;  sev- 
en several  days  must  they  pace  about 


60 


JOSHtJA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


it  once :  and  they  came  into 
tlje  camp,  and  lodged  in  the 
camp. 

12  If  And  Joshua  rose  early 
in  the  morning,  ^and  the  priests 
took  up  the  ark  of  the  Lord. 

13  And  seven  priests  bearing 
seven  trumpets  of  rams'  horns 
before  the  ark  ofthe  Lord  went 
on  continually,  and  blew  with 
the  trumpets  :  and  the  armed 
men  wont  before  them  ;  but  the 
re  re- ward  came  after  the  ark 
of  the  Lord,  the  priests  going 
on,  and  blowing  with  the  trum- 
pets. 

14  And  the  second   day  they 

f  Deut,  31.  25. 


the  walls,  which  they  may  not  once 
look  over  to  see  what  was  within. 
Doubtless  these  inhabitants  of  Jeri- 
cho made  themselves  merry  with 
this  sight.  When  they  had  stood 
six  days  on  their  walls,  and  beheld 
nothing  but  a  walking  enemy, 
'  What,'  say  they, '  could  Israel  find 
no  walk  to  breathe  them  with,  but 
p.bout  our  walls  1  Have  they  not 
traveled  enough  in  their  forty  years' 
pilgrimage,  but  they  must  stretch 
their  limbs  in  this  circle  1  We  see 
they  are  good  footmen,  but  when 
shall  we  try  their  hands  1  Do  these 
vain  men  think  Jericho  will  be  won 
by  looking  af?  Or  do  they  only 
come  to  count  how  many  paces  it  is 
about  our  city  1  If  this  be  their  man- 
ner of  siege,  we  shall  have  no  great 
cause  to  fear  the  sword  of  Israel. 
Wicked  men  think  God  in  jest  when 
he  is  preparing  for  their  judgment.' 
Bp.  Hall. 

15.  The  seventh  day — theij  rose  ear- 
ly. Because  on  this  day  they  had  to 
encompass  the  city  seven  times;  a 
proof  that  the  city  could  not  have 
been  very  large,  and  also  that  the 
vholc  Israelitish  host  could  not  have 
b-en  employed  in  going  round  it ; 
for  as  the  fighting  men  alone 
amounted  to  600,000,  independent- 


compassed  the  city  once,  and 
returned  into  the  camp.  So 
they  did  six  days. 

15  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the 
seventh  day,  that  they  rose  early 
about  the  dawning  of  the  day, 
and  compassed  the  city  after  the 
same  manner  seven  time  s:  only 
on  that  day  they  compassed  the 
city  seven  times. 

16  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the 
seventh  time,  when  the  priests 
blew  with  the  trumpets,  Joshua 
said  unto  the  people.  Shout ; 
for  the  Lord  hath  given  you 
the  city. 

17  "f  And  the  city  shall  be  ac- 


ly  of  the  mass  of  the  people,  who 
made  a  total  of  at  least  two  millions 
more,  the  thing  is  utterly  inconceiv- 
able. A  select  number,  sufficient 
for  the  occasion,  was  doubtless  all 
that  were  employed.  It  is  evident 
that  in  the  course  of  these  seven  days 
there  must  have  been  a  sabbath.  This 
the  Jewish  writers  say  was  the  last, 
the  day  on  which  the  city  was  taken ; 
but  this  is  not  certain.  It  is  not  ma- 
terial, however,  which  day  it  was. 
That  God,  who  commanded  the  sab- 
bath to  be  set  apart  for  rest  and  reli- 
gious purposes,  has  a  right  to  sus- 
pend or  alter  the  usual  modes  of  its 
observance  when  he  sees  fit,  and 
his  command  is  sufiicient  to  make 
any  action  lawful  at  any  time. 

16.  Shoxit.^Jor  the  Lord  hath  given 
you  the  city.  As  before  it  does  not 
appear  that  the  people  were  inform- 
ed how  they  were  to  cross  the  Jor^ 
dan  till  they  came  to  the  river's  brink, 
so  on  this  occasion  Joshua  seems  to 
have  forborne  telling  them  how  they 
were  to  become  masters  of  the  city, 
till  they  had  compassed  it  six  times. 
Their  implicit  obedience  in  this,  as 
in  the  former  instance,  strikingly 
evinced  their  faith,  which  is  com- 
mended by  the  apostle,  Heb.  11.  30. 
*  By  faith  the  walls  of  Jericho  fell 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTEI^  VL 


•51 


cursed,  even  it,  and  all  that  are 
therein,  to  the  Lord  :  only 
Rahab  the  harlot  shall  live, 
she  and  all  that  are  with  her  in 
the  house,  because  ^she  hid  the 
messengers  that  we  sent. 

18  And  ye,  •^in  any  wise 
keep  yourselves  from  the  accur- 
sed thing,  lest  ye  nnake  yourselves 


g  Ch.  2.  4. 
12. 


Deut.7.  2G.  &  13.  17.  ch.  7.  1,  11, 


dowTi  after   they    were  compassed 
about  seven  days.' 

17.  And  Ike  city  shall  be  accursed. 
Heb. '  shall  be  a  curse,  an  anathema ;' 
i.  e.  devoted  to  utter  destruction  ;  no 
spoils  were  to  be  taken,  no  lives  to 
be  spared,  except  those  of  Rahab 
and  her  family.  All  was  to  be,  if 
we  may  so  say,  consecrated  to  a  cnrse. 
For  an  account  of  the  cherem  or 
ayiathema,  see  on  Lev.  27.  21,28,  29. 
It  is  plain  from  1  Kings,  16.  34,  that 
Joshua  spake  this  by  divine  direc- 
tion ;  and  though  to  human  view  it 
may  carry  the  aspect  of  undue  se- 
verity, yet  considered  as  the  enact- 
ment of  Him  whose  judgments  are 
righteous  altogether,  we  cannot 
question  its  perfect  equity,  Jericho 
belonged  to  a  nation  which  had  filled 
up  the  measure  of  its  iniquities,  and 
its  guilt  was  peculiarly  enhanced 
by  reason  of  the  amazing  display  of 
divine  power  which  it  had  recent- 
ly witnessed  and  against  which  it 
had  hardened  itself.  It  was  just, 
therefore,  that  the  vengeance  taken 
should  be  in  proportion  to  the  light 
resisted.  The  severe  judgment  upon 
Jericho,  moreover,  would  tend  to 
strike  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the 
rest  of  the  devoted  nations,  and  make 
them  an  easier  conquest.  IT  Oiily 
Rahab  shall  live,  &c.  The  Most 
High  never  forgets  his  people. 
When  he  maketh  inquisition  for 
"blood,  he  remembereth  them,  who- 
ever else  may  be  overlooked.  IT 
Because  she  hid.  The  original  has 
an  extraordinary  and  emphatic  form, 
implying  that  she  carefully  and  dil- 
igently hid  them. 


accursed,  when  ye  take  of  the 
accursed  thing,  and  make  the 
camp  of  Israel  a  curse,  iand 
trouble  it. 

19  But  all  the  silver,  and  gold, 
and  vessels  of  brass  and  iron, 
are  consecrated  unto  the  Lord  : 
they  shall  come  into  the  trea- 
sury of  the  Lord, 

i  Ch.  7  25.    1  Kings  la  17,  18.    Jonah  1.  12. 


18.  In  any  wise  keep  yourselves. 
That  is,  by  all  means,  most  carefully, 
studiously,  vigilantly.  This  city 
was,  as  it  were,  the  first  fruits  of  Ca- 
naan- and  as  such  wholly  devoted  to 
the  Lord.  The  spoil  of  other  cities, 
subsequently  taken,  was  allowed  to 
be  divided  among  the  captors,  but 
this  was  to  be  an  exception  to  the 
general  rule.  IT  And  make  the 
camp  of  Israel  a  curse.  Heb. '  put,  or 
place  the  camp  a  curse.'  The  Heb. 
word  for  '  put'  has  often  the  signifi- 
cation of '  make,  constitute,  render.' 
The  meaning  is,  that  they  would 
thereby  render  themselres  obnoxious 
to  the  curse  denounced  upon  the  city. 
IT  And  trouble  it.  Bring  distress  up- 
on it  by  provoking  the  divine  dis- 
pleasure, and  interrupting  the  pros- 
perous course  of  your  victories, 
Heb.  Dn"i55>  acha.rtem,  from  '^^jj 
achar,  to  trouble.  See  note  on  Gen, 
34.  30,  31.  This  is  spoken  as  if  in 
foresight  of  the  sin  of  Achan,  to 
whom  Joshua  afterwards  said,  ch.  7. 
25,  '  Why  hast  thou  troubled  us  1 
The  Lord  shall  <ro7^Ze  thee  this  day.* 
From  hence  he  is  called  Achar,  trou- 
ble. 1  Chron.  2.  7. 

19.  All  the  silver  and  gold.  Ex- 
cept those  portions  of  these  metals 
which  were  formed  into  idols  or  their 
appendages,  in  respect  to  which  the 
law  was  express,  Deut,  7.  25,  '  The 
graven  images  of  their  gods  shall  ye 
burn  with  fire  :  thou  shalt  not  desire 
the  silver  or  gold  that  is  on  them, 
nor  take  it  unto  thee,  lest  thou  be 
snared  therein :  for  it  is  an  abomi- 
nation to  the  Lord  thy  God.'    Comp. 

1 1  Chron.  14.   12.         ^  Consecrated 


53 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


20  So  the  people  shouted 
when  the  priests  blew  with  the 
trumpets  :  and  it  canrie  to  pass, 
when  tb.e  people  heard  the  sound 
of  tlie  trumpet,  and  the  people 
shouted  with  a  great  shout,  that 

unto  the  Lord.  Heb.  '  holiness  to  the 
Lord,'  i.  e.  dedicated  exclusively  to 
him ;  being  first  legally  purified  by 
passing  through  the  fire,  according 
to  the  ordinance.  Num.  32.  21 — 23, 
TT  Shall  come  into  the  treasury  of  the 
Lord.  To  be  employed  wholly  for 
the  service  of  the  sanctuary,  and 
not  to  be  appropriated  in  any  man- 
ner to  the  use  of  any  private  person 
or  priest.  The  place  of  deposit  was 
the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation, 
where  the  spoils  of  the  Midianites 
Were  laid  up.     Num.  31.  54. 

20.  So  the  people  shouted,  &€.  More 
literally  rendered  from  the  Heb.,  '  So 
the  people  shouted  and  blew  with  the 
trumpets  (i.  e.  the  priests  blew  in  the 
name  of  the  people,)  and  it  came  to 
pass  when  the  people  heard  the  sound 
of  the  trumpets,  that  the  people 
shouted  with  a  great  shout,  and  the 
wall  fell  down  flat,  and  the  people 
went  up,'  &c.  The  latter  clause  is 
merely  a  more  detailed  and  exact  ac- 
eount  of  w^hat  is  contained  in  the 
first.  Probably  great  numbers  were 
killed  by  the  falling  of  the  wall. 
We  are  not  warranted,  perhaps,  to 
ipeak  of  this  event  as  typical.  Never- 
theless it  was  doubtless  intended  to 
convey  most  important  instruction 
to  all  succeeding  ages.  It  was  pecu- 
liarly calculated  to  show  how  easily 
God  can  make  a  way  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  his  own  purposes,  and 
for  the  salvation  of  his  people.  If  it 
did  not  typify,  it  certainly  well  illus- 
trates, the  victories  which  the  gospel 
was  to  obtain  over  all  the  principal- 
ities and  powers  of  earth  and  hell. 
No  human  force  was  to  be  used. 
Nothing  but  the  simple  announce- 
ment of  the  truth,  and  that  by  the  in- 
strumentality of  Aveak  and  sinful 
men — men  unlearned,  unskilled  in 
logic,  and   unfurnished   with   elo- 


•^the  wall  fell  down  flat,  so  that 
the  people  went  up  into  the  city, 
every  man  straight  before  him^ 
and  they  took  the  city. 

21    And    they     (utterly    de- 
stroyed all  that  was  in  the  city, 

k  Ver.  5.     Heb.  11.  30  1  Dnit   7.  2. 


quence — was  the  means  chosen  for 
the  destruction  of  idolatry,  and  the 
establishment  of  the  Redeemer's  king' 
dom  over  the  earth.  Yet  how  might- 
ily has  the  bare  sound  of  the  gospel 
trumpet  prevailed  for  the  overthrow 
of  Satan's  empire  in  the  world !' 

21,  A7id  they  utterly  destroyed, 
Heb.  '  made  a  curse,  devoted  to  de- 
struction.' IT  Both  man  and  wo- 
man, young  and  old,  &c.  In  all  this 
the  Israelites  acted  strictly  according 
to  their  orders,  Deut.  20.  16,  17,  so 
that  whatever  charge  of  cruelty  or 
barbarity  may  be  brought  against 
them  in  view  of  their  conduct  on  this 
occasion,  it  strikes  directly  at  the 
rectitude  of  the  divine  judgments. 
That  the  Canaanites  were  a  nation 
of  incorrigible  idolaters,  whose  mor- 
als, from  the  most  remote  periods, 
w' ere  polluted  to  the  utmost  degree^ 
we  have  the  highest  authority  for  as- 
serting. Had  Jehovah,  after  bearing 
with  such  a  people  for  no  less  than 
four  centuries,  sent  upon  them  at 
last  a  famine  or  a  pestilence,  and  cut 
them  off' from  the  face  of  the  earthy 
who  could  deny  that  he  had  acted 
with  perfect  justice  1  Had  he  again 
caused  tire  to  fall  upon  them  from 
heaven,  or  overw^helmed  them  by 
the  waters  of  a  flood,  the  same  ad- 
mission must  have  been  made.  Why 
then  should  it  be  urged  that  he  acted 
in  opposition  to  any  one  of  his  know-n 
attributes,  because  he  let  loose  ano- 
ther of  his  judgments  upon  them, 
namely  war  1  For  such,  as  far  as 
they  were  affected,  was  really  the 
case.  The  Israelites  were  towards 
them  neither  more  nor  less  than  in- 
struments of  punishment  in  the  hands 
of  the  great  Ruler  of  the  universe, 
who  chose  to  slay  them  by  the  edge 
of  the  sword,  rather  than  by  earth- 
quakes, famine,  or  plague.  Towards 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VI. 


53 


both  man  and  woman,  young 
and  old,  and  ox,  and  sheep,  and 
ass,  with  the  edge  of  the  sword. 

22  But  Joshua  had  said  unto 
the  two  men  that  had  spied  out 
the  country.  Go  into  the  harlot's 
house,  and  bring  out  thence  the 
woman,  and  all  that  she  hath, 
"'as  ye  sware  unto  her. 

23  And  the  young  men  that 
were  spies  went  in,  and  brought 
out  Rahab,  "and  her  father,  and 
her  mother,  and  her  brethren^ 
and  all  that  she  had  ;  and  they 

in  Ch.  2.  14.     Heb.  11.  31.         n  Ch.  3   13. 


the  Canaanites  themselves,  we  must 
admit  that  there  was  great  severity 
in  the  order  for  their  extermination. 
But  there  was  goodness  in  it,  yea 
great  goodness,  towards  the  world 
at  large ;  for  it  has  shown  the  dan- 
ger of  unbelief  and  impenitence  in 
such  awful  colors,  thai  the  proudest 
and  most  obdurate  must  tremble.  If 
it  be  urged  that  to  subject  women  and 
unoffending  children  to  the  horrors 
of  war,  is  inconsistent  with  our  ideas 
of  divine  justice,  we  reply,  that  the 
very  same  observation  mightbe  made 
in  the  case  of  a  plague  or  a  deluge. 
In  all  public  calamities  infants  are 
involved,  and  tens  of  thousands  die 
in  great  agony  every  year.  If  God  is 
the  agent  in  these  calamities,  they 
must  consist  with  the  most  perfect 
justice  and  goodness,  and  on  the  same 
ground  is  the  present  order,  fearful 
as  it  was,  to  be  vindicated. 

22.  Go  into  the  kar lot's  i^use. 
Which  had  been  miraculously  pre- 
served  in  the    general    overthrow. 

23.  The  young  meii.  These  per- 
sons have  all  along  hitherto  been 
called  simply  '  men,'  and  no  inti- 
mation given  of  their  having  been 
young.  For  an  explanation  of  the 
Scriptural  import  of  the  phrase 
'young  men,'  see  on  Gen.  14,  24. 
'i All  her  Kindred.  Heb.  '  all  her  fami- 
lies.'  ^  And  left  them  without  the  camp. 
Heb.  '  made  Iheixi  to  stay  or  abide/ 


brought  out  all  her  kindred,  and 
left  them  without  the  camp  of 
Israel. 

24  And  they  burnt  the  city 
with  fire,  and  all  that  was  there- 
in :  °only  the  silver,  and  the 
gold,  and  the  vessels  of  brasa 
and  of  iron,  they  put  into  the 
treasury  of  the  house  of  the 
Lord. 

25  And  Joshua  saved  Rahab 
the  harlot  alive,  and  her  father's 
household,  and  all  that  she  had  ; 
and  Pshe  dwelleth  in  Israel  even 

o  T.  19.         p  See  Matt.  1.  5. 

Till  they  were  cleansed  from  the  im- 
purities of  their  gentile  superstition, 
and  prepared,  by  suitable  instruction, 
for  admission  as  proselytes  into  the 
Israelitish  church. 

25.  Saved  alive.  Heb.  '  vivified, 
made  to  live.'  The  usage  of  the  ori- 
ginal is  peculiar.  It  seems  to  imply 
that  Rahab  and  her  kindred  were  as 
good  as  dead,  that  they  had  virtually 
perished  in  the  general  destruction, 
but  bv  being  preserved  through  it, 
had  had,  as  it  were,  their  lives  restor- 
ed to  them.  See  the  note  on  Pha- 
raoh's being  preserved,  Ex.  9.  14 — 16L 
11  Dwelleth  in  Israel  even  unto  this 
day.  Heb.  '  in  the  midst  of  Israel,* 
i.  e.  as  a  communicant  and  partaker 
of  all  the  distinguishing  privileges 
of  the  chosen  seed.  She  afterwards 
married  Salmon,  the  son  of  Nahshon, 
a  prince  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and 
thus  became  one  of  the  ancestors  of 
David  and  of  Christ.  Matt.  1.  5. 
IT  Unto  this  day.  A  strong  proof 
that  the  book  was  written  in  or  near 
the  time  to  which  it  refers,  and  in 
all  probability  by  Joshua  himself 
%  Because  she  hid  the  messengers. 
This  is  repeated,  as  if  the  spirit  of 
inspiration  delighted  to  dwell  on  the 
act  which  redounded  so  signally  to 
her  credit  and  to  her  salvation.  God 
takes  pleasure  in  reciting  the  good 
deeds  of  his  people.  From  the  vari- 
ous part.icuJars  recorded  in  the  sa^ 


54 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


unto  this  day  ;  because  she  hid 
the  messengers  wliich  Joshua 
sent  to  spy  out  Jericho. 

26    H    And    Joshua    adjured 


cred  narrative  respecting  Rahab, 
"we  may  learn,  (1)  That  there  is  no 
person  so  vile  but  that  he  may  become 
an  eminent  saint.  Would  that  all 
abandoned  women  in  the  world 
might  hear  of  the  mercy  shown  to- 
wards this  harlot  of  Jericho  !  Des- 
pised and  outcast  as  they  are  by 
their  fellow-creatures,  would  that 
they  knew  what  compassion  for  them 
exists  in  the  bosom  of  God  !  They 
usually  persist  in  their  wickedness, 
through  an  utter  despair  of  obtaining 
the  mercy  and  grace  which  they  need. 
But  here  they  might  see  that  there 
was  hope  for  the  vilest  of  the  vile. 
(2)  Faiih,  if  genuine,  will  uniformly 
produce  good  works.  (3)  Whatever 
we  do  for  God  or  for  his  people,  be- 
cause they  are  his  people,  shall  most 
assuredly  be  richly  rewarded. 

26.  Joshua  adjured  them.  Made 
them  to  swear,  caused  them  to  bind 
themselves  by  a  solemn  oath,  con- 
firmed by  an  imprecation  upon  them- 
selves and  their  posterity,  if  they 
broke  it,  that  they  would  never  re- 
build the  city.  This  he  did,  not  on  his 
own  responsibility ,  but  by  a  divine  im- 
pulse, 1  Kings  16.  34.  "From  the  re- 
markable manner  in  which  Jericho 
was  taken  and  destroyed,  it  appears 
to  have  been  the  design  of  God  to 
preserve  such  a  memorial  of  the 
event,  as  would  teach  to  the  latest 
posterity,  his  detestation  of  idolatry 
and  the  vices  that  grow  out  of  it. 
Accordingly  Joshua  here  adjures 
the  people  by  a  solemn  oath,  and 
binds  it  upon  them  and  their  poster- 
ity, to  leave  the  ruins  of  the  city  as 
a  perpetual  warning  to  after  ages 
against  the  commission  of  those 
crimes.  It  would  thus  serve  also  as 
a  precaution  to  Israel  to  abstain  from 
worshiping  the  idol  deities  of  the  sur- 
rounding nations,  IT  Cursed  be 
the  man  before  the  Lord.  That  is, 
from  God's  presence  and  by  his  sen' 


them  at  that  time,  saying  ^Curs- 
ed be  the  man  before  the  Lord, 
that  riseth  up  and  buildeth  this 
city  Jericho  :  he  shall  lay  the 


q  I  Kings  16.  M. 


tence.  Thus  Joshua  is  said,  ch,  18. 
8,  to  have  '  cast  lots  before  the  Lord/ 
i.e.  as  under  his  sanction  and  ex- 
pecting the  decision  from  him.  This 
was  what  gave  its  terror  to  the  pen- 
alty. As  to  what  is  implied  in  the 
curse  of  God,  see  on  Gen.  3.  14. 
IT  That  riseth  up  and  btcildeth.  That 
is,  that  attempts  to  build,  that  enters 
upon  the  work  of  building,  that  en- 
gages in  it.  This  is  often  the  sense 
of '  rise  '  in  the  sacred  writers.  The 
denunciation  is  here  limited  to  the 
builder,  and  extends  not  to  those  who 
should  inhabit  the  city  after  it  was 
built,  for  that  it  was  subsequently  re- 
built and  inhabited  is  evident.  See 
below.  U  Shall  lay  the  foundation 
thereof  in  hisflrst-born,  &c.  That  is, 
shall  "lose  all  his  children  in  the  in- 
terval between  laying  the  foundation 
and  completing  the  Avails;  he  shall, 
as  it  were,  lay  the  first  stone  on  the 
dead  body  of  his  eldest  son,  and  the 
last  oh  that  of  his  youngest.  This 
is  said  to  have  been  fulfilled  in  Hiel, 
the  Bethelite,  1  Kings,  16.  34,  v/ho 
rebuilt  Jericho  in  the  reign  of  Ahaz, 
and  '  laid  the  foundation  thereof  in 
Abiram  his  first-born,  and  set  up  the 
gates  thereof  in  his  youngest  son 
Segub.'  This  was  550  years  atler  the> 
utterance  of  the  curse.  The  city 
does  not  appear,  however,  to  have 
lain  in  ruins  during  the  whole  pe- 
riod from  Joshua  to  Hiel,  at  least  if 
the  •  city  of  palm  trees/  mentioned 
Deut.  34.  3,  be,  as  is  generally  suppo^ 
sed,  the  same  with  Jericho,  for  we 
find  this  an  inhabited  place  in  the  be-, 
ginning  of  Judges,  ch,  1.  10,  a  short 
lime  after  the  death  of  Joshua,  anci 
the  same  city  appears  to  have  been 
t.iken  from  "the  Israelites  by  Eglon, 
king  of  Moab,  Judg.  3.  13.  More, 
over,  the  ambassadors  of  David,  who 
v/ere  maltreated  by  Hanan,  king  of 
the  Ammonites,  were  commanded  to 
tarrj^  at  Jericho  till  their  beards  were 


A,  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VII. 


55 


foundation  thereof  in  bis  first- 
born,  and  in  his  youngest  son 
shall  he  set  up  the  gates  of  it. 

27  ■'Sothe  Lord  was  with  Josh- 
ua ;  and  =his  fame  was  noised 
throughout  all  the  country. 


grown,  2  Sam.  10.  4,  5.  It  appears) 
therefore,  thai  there  was  a  city  which 
went  under  this  name  long  before 
the  time  of  Hiel,  unless  it  be  suppo- 
sed that  the  '  city  of  palm  trees  '  was 
a  different  place  from  the  ancient 
Jericho,  though  standing  in  its  neigh- 
borhood, and  sometimes  called  by  its 
name,  which  we  think  not  improba- 
ble, especially  as  Josephus  speaks  of 
the  site  of  the  old  city  of  Jericho,  as 
if  to  distinguish  it  from  a  more  mod- 
ern one. 

27.  The  Lord  teas  vnth  Joshua,  &c. 
That  is,  by  his  powerful  aid,  giv'ing 
him  miraculous  assistance,  magni- 
fying him  and  raising  his  reputation, 
making  him  acceptable  to  Israel,  and 
formidable  to  the  Canaanites.  '  No- 
thing can  more  raise  a  man's  repu- 
tation, nor  make  him  appear  more 
truly  great,  than  to  have  the  evidence 
of  God's  presence  with  him.'    Henry. 

CHAP.  VII. 
1.  Committed  a  trespass.  Heb. 
'prevaricated  a  prevarication.'  The 
sin  of  an  individual  is  imputed  to 
the  whole  people.  This  is  on  the 
ground  of  the  constituted  oneness  of 
social  and  eclesiastical  bodies.  See 
note  on  ch.  1.  12.  In  like  manner. 
Mat.  26.  8,  it  is  said,  that  'the  disci- 
ples had  indignation,  saying.  To 
what  purpose  is  this  waste  1'  Where- 
as from  John,  12.  4,  5,  it  appears 
that  it  was  Judas  only  who  made 
this  remark. — No  man,  in  sinning, 
can  be  sure  that  the  consequences 
will  stop  with  himself.  For  aught 
he  knows,  they  may  affect  the  whole 
extent  of  his  relations ;  and  this 
ought  to  make  us  watchful  both  over 
ourselves  and  others,  that  we  neither 
commit  nor  countenance  deeds  that 
may  spread  desolation  over  thebosom 


CHAPTER  VII. 
"OUT  the  children  of  Israel 
-^^  committed  a  trespass  in  the 
accursed  thing  :  for  ^Achan,  the 
son  of  Carmi,  the  son  of  Zabdi, 
the  son  of  Zerah,  of  the  tribe  of 


of  a  whole  community.  '  So  venom- 
ous is  sin,  especially  when  it  lights 
among  God's  people,  that  one  dram 
of  it  is  able  to  infect  the  whole  mass 
of  Israel.'  Bp.  Hall.  M  In  the  ac- 
cursed thing.  In  respect  to  the  ac- 
cursed thing ;  in  taking  a  portion  of 
the  spoils  of  the  city,  the  whole  of 
which  God  had  commanded  to  be 
either  destroyed  or  dedicated  to  the 
sanctuary.  IT  Achan,  the  son  of 

Carmi.     This  Achan  is  elsewhere 
called  Achar,  trouble  or  the  troublery 
undoubtedly  in  allusion  to  the  effect 
of  his  conduct  on  this  occasion.   See 
on  V.  25  and  ch.  6.  18.     In  like  man- 
ner Bethel,  house  of  God,  is  called 
Bethaven,  house  of  vanity,  Hos.  4. 
15,  on  accoimt  of  the  idolatry  prac- 
tised there.     Nothing  is  more  com- 
mon in  the  Scriptures,  than  for  the 
names  of  persons  and  places  to  be 
changed  in  consequence  of,  and  in 
allusion     to,     certain     remarkable 
events  by  which  they  may  have  been 
distinguished.         if  So7i  of  Zabdi. 
Called  also   Zimri,  1  Chron.  2.   6. 
The  line  of  his  parentage  is  thus 
recited,   among  other  reasons,  that 
the   discredit   of  such  a   foul   deed 
may  be   reflected  back  upon  those 
of  his  ancestors  who,  by  being  remiss 
in  their  duties  as  parents,  had  been, 
in  one  sense,  the  procuring  cause  of 
his  sin.     This  is  not  an  uncommon 
occurrence  in  the  sacred  writings. 
It  seems  to  have  been  with  a  similar 
design,  that  the  genealogy  of  Zimri  is 
given.  Num.  25. 14.    In  like  manner 
the  praise  of  the  excellence  of  a  son 
redounds  to  the  honor  of  the  line 
from  which  he  springs.     A  warn- 
ing is  hereby  administered  to  parents, 
to  give  the  most  diligent  heed  in 
training  their  offspring  in  the  fear 
of  God,  lest  they  be  a  reproach  to 


5a 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


JuJahjtook  ofthe  accursed  thing : 
and  the  angerofthe  Lord  was  kin- 
dled against  the  children  of  Israel. 
2  And  Joshua  sent  men  from 
Jericho  to  Ai,  which  is  beside 
Bethaven,  on  the  east  side  of 
Beth-el,    and  spake  unto  them, 


their  memories   when    they  them- 
selves are  no  more. 

2.  Sent  men  from  Jericho  U  Ai. 
Called  also  Hai,  Gen.  12, 8,  and  Aija, 
Keh,  11.  31,  a  city  near  the  north- 
ern limit  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin, 
about  ten  miles  north  of  Jerusalem, 
and  nearly  two  east  of  Bethel.  After 
its  destruction  by  Joshua,  it  was  again 
rebuilt  by  the  Benjaminites  and  in- 
habited by  them  till  the  captivity. 
Sennacherib  at  length  destroyed  it, 
but  though  it  was  rebuilt  after  the 
Babylonish  captivity,  there  is  no  ves- 
tige of  il  to  be  found  at  the  present 
time.  Even  in  the  fourth  century, 
the  ruins  of  this  city  were  scarcely 
visible.  The  spies  sent  on  this  occa- 
sion were  not  to  go  into  the  city,  but 
merely  into  its  vicinity,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  reconnoitring.  IT  Beside 
Beth-aven.  This  was  a  city  of  Ben- 
jamin, about  three  miles  north  of  Ai, 
and  nearly  six  miles  east  of  Bethel, 
which  gave  name  to  the  wilderness 
adjoining,  ch.  18.  12.  It  was  not  the 
place  called  Beth-aven,  Hos.  10.  5. 
See  on  V.  1.  ^  Go  up  and  view  the 
country.  Heb.  '  go  up  and  foot  the 
country.'  So  afterwards, '  and  view- 
ed,' Heb.  '  and  footed.' 

3.  Let  not  all  the  people  go  up,  &c. 
The  easy  conquest  of  Jericho  had 
probably  rendered  the  people  pre- 
sumptuous. They  concluded  that 
God  would  of  course  interpose  for 
them  just  as  he  had  done  before.  The 
counsel  here  given  was  based,  as  it 
would  seem,  upon  a  culpable  assu- 
rance of  success  in  the  neglect  of  the 
proper  means.  To  confide  in  God 
was  right ;  but  to  expect  his  aid  while 
they  neglected  to  use  their  own  en- 
deavors, was  nothing  short  of  down- 
right presumption.  So  prone  is  hu- 
saan  nature  to  extremes.    The  first 


saying.  Go  up  and  view  the 
country.  And  the  men  went  up 
and  viewed  Ai. 

3  And  they  returned  to  Joshua, 
and  said  unto  him,  Let  not  all 
the  people  go  up  ;  but  let  about 
two  or  three  thousand   men  go 


spies  that  were  sent  out  by  Moses 
brought  back  the  most  disheartening 
report.  The  Canaanites  were  invin- 
cible, and  they  would  surely  fall  be- 
fore them.  Those  sent  to  Ai  were 
as  much  on  the  other  extreme.  Their 
enemies  are  contemptible,  and  they 
can  easily  carry  all  before  them. 
Even  Joshua  himself  seems  to  have 
formed  his  measures  without  taking 
the  usual  precaution  of  consulting 
God  as  to  his  duty.  The  result 
showed  that  they  should  at  least  have 
had  some  intimation  from  heaven, 
that  a  part  of  the  force  was  to  be  dis- 
pensed with  in  this  instance.  But 
the  truth  is,  they  were  now  under  the 
divine  displeasure:  sin  unrepented 
had  interrupted  the  communications 
of  God's  will,  and  where  that  is  the 
case  with  a  people  or  an  individual, 
all  goes  vjrong.  No  one  can  have  se- 
curity that  he  is  planning  or  acting 
right,  while  the  light  of  the  Lord's 
countenance  is  hidden  by  sin.  The 
pledge  ofthe  divine  blessing  is  want- 
ing, and  he  is  not  to  be  surprised  if 
all  his  counsels  are  carried  headlong. 
IT  Make  not  all  the  people  to  labor 
thither.  That  is,  to  labor  and  fatigue 
themselves  by  going  thither ;  an  ad- 
vice by  which  they  obviously  consult- 
ed the  ease  rather  than  the  safety  or 
glory  of  the  people.  It  is  perhaps  in 
allusiontothis  incident,  that  Solomon 
says,  Eccles.  10.  15, '  The  labor  ofthe 
foolish  laearieth  every  one  of  them, 
because  he  knoweth  not  how  to  go  to 
the  city.'  IT  F'or  they  are  but  few. 
On  which  Henry  well  remarks,  that 
'  few  as  they  were,  they  were  too 
many  for  them.'  It  appears  from 
ch.  8,  25,  that  Joshua  slew  in  one 
day,  twelve  thousand  ofthe  citizens 
of  Ai,  and  yet  the  spies  reported  the 
place  meanly  garrisoned,  and  pro- 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VII. 


57 


up  and  smite  Ai :  and  make  not 
ail  the  people  to  labor  thither ; 
for  they  are  but  few. 

4  So  there  went  up  thither  of 
the  people  about  three  thousand 
men  :  ^and  they  fled  before  the 
men  of  Ai. 

5  And  the  men  of  Ai  smote 


b  Lev.  26.  17. 


of  them  about  thirty  and  six  men, 
for  they  chased  them  from  before 
the  gate  even  unto  Shebarim, 
and  smote  them  in  the  going 
down  :  wherefore  Hhe  hearts  of 
the  people  melted,  and  became 
as  water. 

6  IT   And   Joshua    "^rent   his 


c  Ch.  2. 
9,31 


11.   Lev.  26.  36.   Ps.  22.  14.     d  Gen.  37. 


posed  to  send  against  it  only  a  de- 
tachment of  two  or  three  thousand ! 
5.    Chased  them — even  unto    She- 
barim. Heb.  '  to  the  breaches,  break- 
ings, or  shiverings  ;'  so  called  prob- 
ably from  the  event,   because  the 
ranks  of  the  Israelites  were  utterly 
broken  and  the  people,  panic-struck, 
fled  in  the  utmost  confusion.        II 
Smote  them  in  the  going  down.  That 
is,  in  the  descent  or  declivity  of  the 
hill  on  which  the  town  stood.     The 
effect  of  this  defeat  would  naturally 
be  (1)  To  serve  as  an  evidence  of 
God's  displeasure,  and  a  solemn  call 
upon  them  to  humble  themselves  un- 
der his  mighty  hand,  and  institute  a 
rigid  self-examination  to  discover  if 
possible  the  cause  of  so  sad  a  reverse. 
(2)  To  harden  the  Canaanites  and 
make  them  more  secure  than  ever  in 
their  sins,  prompting  them  to  say  of 
Israel,  as  the  enemies  of  David  said 
of  him,Ps.  71. 11,'  God  hath  forsak- 
en him;  persecute  and  take  him,  for 
there  is  none  to  deliver  him.'    Thus 
their  ruin,  when  it  came,  wouldbe  the 
more  dreadful.    The  Christian  may 
derive  some  profitable  hints  from  this 
narrative  as  to  the  conduct  of  the  war- 
fare in  which  he  is  engaged.  Notwith- 
standing the  Canaan  which  he  seeks 
is  the  gift  of  God,  yet  it  must  be  ob- 
tained by  a  manly  and  continued 
conflict  with  our  spiritual  enemies. 
He  must  not  despise  any  as  too  weak, 
nor  fear  any  as  too  strong.     As  to 
the  weak  especially,  he  should  re- 
member that  there  is  none  so  weak 
but  he  will  be  able  to  overcome  us  if 
we  indulge  a  careless  habit,  or  con- 
fide in  an  arm  of  flesh.        IT  The 
hearts  of  the  people  'melted  and  became 
6 


as  vjater.  That  is,  were  utterly  dis- 
couraged. Thus  the  very  effect  which 
was  threatened  to  be  produced  on  the 
devoted  nations  by  the  approach  of 
the  Israelites,  was  now  in  the  right- 
eous judgment  of  God  wrought  in 
the  hearts  of  his  own  sinning  people. 
See  on  Ex.  15.  15.    Josh.  2.  9,  11. 

6.  Joshua  rent  his  clothes.  A  usual 
mode,  among  the  ancients,  of  ex- 
pressing the  highest  degree  of  sor- 
row or  grief.-  See  Illustration  of  the 
Scriptures,  p.  156.  It  was  not  so  much 
the  defeat  itself  as  the  undoubted 
though  unknown  guilty  cause  of  it 
that  distressed  Joshua.  It  showed 
evidently  that  for  some  reason  or 
other,  the  Lord's  hand  was  turned 
against  them,  as  otherwise  it  would 
not  have  been  possible  for  the  ene- 
my to  have  prevailed.  IT  Until  even 
tide.  Thus  spending  the  whole  day 
in  fasting  and  prayer.  We  cannot 
but  highly  applaud  the  conduct  of 
Joshua  on  this  occasion.  The  con- 
cern he  expressed  for  the  loss  of  so 
many  lives  evinced  a  heart  full  of 
tender  and  generous  sympathies. 
Common  generals  would  have  ac- 
counted the  loss  of  thirty-six  men  as 
nothing ;  but  the  blood  of  Israel  was 
precious  in  the  sight  of  Joshua. 
We  might  have  expected  too  that  he 
would  have  blamed  the  spies  for  de- 
ceiving him  in  relation  to  the 
strength  of  the  city ;  and  have  pun- 
ished the  soldiers  for  cowardice ; 
but  he  viewed  the  hand  of  God,  rath- 
er than  of  man  in  this  disaster ;  and 
this  led  to  what  all  must  admire,  his 
deep  humiliation  before  God.  But 
his  tender  regard  for  the  honor  of 
I  the  divine  name  was  that  which  em- 


58 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  145U 


clothes,  and  fell  to  the  earth 
upon  his  face  before  the  ark  of 
the  Lord  until  the  even-tide,  he 
and  the  elders  of  Israel,  and 
*put  dust  upon  their  heads. 

7    And   Joshua   said,    Alas  ! 
O   Lord   God,  '"wherefore  hast 

c  1  Sam.  4.  12.     .2  Sam.  1.  2.  &  X3.  19.      Neh.  9.  1. 
Job  2.  12.         fEx.  5.  22.  2  Kings  3.  10. 


inently  distinguished  him  on  this  oc- 
casion, '  O  Lord,'  what  wilt  thou  do 
unto  thy  great  namel'  This  was  the 
plea  which  Moses  had  often  used, 
and  to  which  God  had  paid  especial 
regard  ;  and  the  man  that  feels  it  in 
his  soul,  and  urges  it  In  sincerity  and 
truth  can  never  be  ultimately  foiled. 
IT  Put  dust  iipo7i  their  heads.  Rend- 
ing the  clothes,  beating  the  breast, 
tearing  the  hair,  putting  dust  on  the 
head,  and  falling  down  prostrate, 
have  always  been  among  Eastern 
nations  the  usual  marks  of  deep 
affliction  and  distress. 

7.  Wherefore  hast  thou  brought  this 
people,  &LC.  Heb.  'passing  caused  to 
pass;'  i.  e.  by  a  most  stupendous  mir- 
acle. This  prayer  of  Joshua  ap- 
pears at  first  view  to  have  been 
prompted  by  a  murmuring  complain- 
ing spirit  very  much  akin  to  that 
manifested  by  the  children  of  Israel 
on  several  occasions,  in  the  wilder- 
ness. Ex.  14.  11,  12—16.  3.  Num. 
14.  3,  Taken  according  to  the  letter 
it  has  an  air  of  bold  and  rather  irrev- 
erent remonstrance,  which  would  not 
have  been  expected  from  the  pious 
Captain  of  Israel,  especially  in  a  sea- 
son of  fasting  and  prayer,  when  he 
appears  to  have  been  most  profound- 
ly humbled.  But  much  of  this,  un- 
doubtedly, arises  from  the  difficulty 
of  transfusing  the  precise  import  of 
the  original  into  Eiiglish.  The  ex- 
pressions '  to  deliver, '  '  to  destroy, ' 
according  to  a  very  common  idiom, 
imply  not  the  design,  but  simply  the 
event.  Joshua  would  not  intimate 
that  God  had  led  the  people  into  Ca- 
naan with  the  express  intention  of  de- 
livering them  into  the  hands  of  their 
enemies,  but  he  humbly  enquires 
why  he  had  permitted  an  occurrence 


thou  at  all  brought  this  people 
over  Jordan,  to  deliver  us  into 
the  hand  of  the  Amorites,  to 
destroy  us?  would  to  God  we 
had  been  content,  and  dwelt  on 
the  other  side  Jordan  ! 

8  0  Lord,  what  shall  I  say 


that  seemed  likely  to  issue  in  such 
an  event,  one  entirely  foreign  to  the 
original  purpose.    Before  the  phrase 
'  would  to  God,  &c.'  the  word  '  and' 
occurs  in  the  Hebrew,  which  is  to- 
tally disregarded  by  our  translators, 
requiring  the  sentence  to  be  filled 
out  by  some  such  addition  as  this : — 
'  to  destroy  us,  and  (to  cause  us  to 
say,)  would  to  God  we  had   been 
content,  &c.'     It  is  as  if  he  should 
say ; — '  Should  thy  promises,  O  Lord 
God,  now  fail  of  accomplishment  on 
account  of  our  sin,  the  great  miracle 
thou  hast  wrought  in  bringing  us 
over  Jordan  would  seem  to  be  una- 
vailing, and  all  thy  past  mercies 
abortive.     To  all  human  view    it 
would  have  been  better  for  us  to  have 
remained  on  the  other  side  of  Jordan, 
and  we  shall  be  strongly  prompted 
to  wish  that  that  had  been  the  case, 
for  it  will  be  inferred  from  the  event, 
that  thy  sole  purpose  in  bringing  us 
hither,  was  to  deliver  us  into  the 
hands  of  the  Amorites  for  our  de- 
struction, rather  than  to  deliver  them 
into  our  hands.'     This  we  have  no 
doubt  is  the  real  drift  of  Joshua's  ex- 
postulation, and  as  nothing  in  the  an- 
swer which  God  makes  to  him  car- 
ries the  air  of  reprehension  or  re- 
buke, we  see  no  reason  to  think  that 
any  thing  of  the  kind  was  merited. 
His  words  were  evidently  prompted 
by  the  most  commendable  feelings. 
He  felt  for  the  thousands  of  Israel 
whom  he  considered  as  abandoned 
to  destruction.    He  felt  too  for  the 
glory  of  God,  for  he  knew  that  should 
Israel  be  destroyed,  God's  great  name 
would  be  blasphemed  among  the  hea- 
then.    He  therefore  uses  an  argu- 
ment based  perhaps    on    the   very 
words  of  God  himself,  Deut.  32.  27, 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VII. 


59 


when  Israel  turneth  their  backs 
before  their  enemies ! 

9  For  the  Canaanites,  and  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  land  shall 
hear  of  it^  and  shall  environ  us 
round,  and  ^cut  off  our  name 
from  the  earth  :  and  '^what  wilt 
thou  do  unto  thy  great  name  ? 


g  Pf.  83.  4.        h  See  Ex 


12.    Num.  14.  13. 


*  Were  it  not  that  I  feared  the  wrath 
of  the  enemy,  lest  their  adversaries 
should  behave  themselves  strangely, 
and  lest  they  should  say,  «&c.' 

8.  miat  shall  I  say,  &c.  Heb. 
'  what  shall  I  say  after  (i.  e.  since, 
or  seeing  that)  Israel  hath  turned  the 
neck  before  his  enemies.'  What 
■construction  shall  I  put  upon  it,  or 
iiow  shall  I  answer  the  reproaches 
and  taunts  of  thine  enemies,  when 
Israel,  thine  own  people,  for  whom 
thou  hast  done  such  great  things, 
and  to  whom  thou  hast  made  such 
glorious  promises,  when  they  turn 
their  backs  in  ignoble  flight  before 
their  enemies  !  He  speaks  as  one 
at  a  loss  what  to  think  of  the  unhap- 
py events  that  had  just  occurred; 
as  if  nothing  more  strange  or  mar- 
vellous could  have  happened  than 
the  defeat  of  the  chosen  people.  IT 
What  ivilt  thou  do  to  thy  great  name  7 
i.  e.  What  wait  thou  do  in  respect  to 
thy  great  name  7  How  wilt  thou 
preserve  its  glory  unstained  when 
such  a  flood  of  obloquy  shall  be 
poured  upon  it  by  the  scoffing  hea- 
then '?  The  cutting  off  of  our  name, 
though  that  would  vastly  disparage 
thy  power  and  faithfulness,  yet  that 
is  a  matter  of  less  consequence ; 
but,  O  Lord,  how  wilt  thou  con- 
sult the  honor  of  thine  own  blessed 
and  glorious  name,  were  such  an  ad- 
vantage to  be  given  to  the  adversa- 
ry 1  Comp.  Ex.  32. 12.  Num.  14. 13. 
Joel  2.  27. 

10.  Get  thee  up.  Heb.  *  rise  or  stand 
up  for  thyself  IT  Wh.e.refore  liest 
thouthus  upon  thy  face  ?  H  eb. '  where- 
fore this,  (that)  thou  art  falling  down 
upon  thy  face !'  i.  e.  continuing  to  fall, 
doing  it  again  and  again.    Not  the 


10  IT  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Joshua,  Get  thee  up  ;  wherefore 
liest  thou  thus  upon  thy  face  ? 

11  'Israel  hath  sinned,  and 
they  have  also  transgressed  my 
covenant  which  I  commanded 
them  :  i^for  they  have  even  taken 
of  the  accursed  thing,  and  have 


language  of  rebuke,  as  though  Grod 
were  displeased  with  Joshua  for  pros- 
trating himself  in  this  humble  pos- 
ture, and  bemoaning  in  bitterness  of 
soul  the  disaster  that  had  befallen 
Israel;  but  merely  implying  that  it 
was  now  enough  ;  that  God  would 
not  have  him  any  longer  continue 
thai  mournful  posture ;  that  he  had 
other  work  to  do  than  to  spend  time 
in  grieving  and  afflicting  himself  in 
view  of  wliat  was  past ;  that  he  must 
arise  and  set  about  discovering  the 
accursed  thing,  and  casting  it  out;  in 
a  word  that  he  must  lay  aside  his 
mourning  weeds  and  enter  upon 
that  which  was  especially  and  pre- 
eminently at  present  incumbent 
upon  him.  '  For  every  thing  there 
is  a  season,  and  it  behoves  us  to  see 
that  the  time  is  not  spent  in  empty 
lamentation  which  God  would  have 
devoted  to  vigorous  action  in  reform- 
ing what  is  amiss.'   Henry. 

11.  Israel  hath  sinned.  For  a  view 
of  the  reason  why  this  is  spoken  of 
as  the  act  of  the  whole  body  of  Is- 
rael, see  note  on  v.  1.  IT  Have  also 
transg  ressed  my  covenant.  That  is, 
have'broken  the  conditions  of  the 
covenant  or  agreement  of  general 
obedience  into  which  they  had  before 
entered,  Ex.  19.  8—24.  7;  or,  have 
transgressed  the  particular  precept 
relative  to  the  accursed  thing,  ch.  6. 
19.  Covenant,  in  the  Scriptures,  often 
has  the  sense  of  command,  precept, 
ordinance,  yi  Have  also  stolen.  Have 
sacrilegiously  taken  and  appropriat- 
ed to  their  own  use  the  portion  which 
I  had  reserved  to  myself,  and  or- 
dered to  be  broughtinto  the  treasury, 
IT  And  dissembled  also.  Have  cover- 
ed the  deed  with  deep  dissimulation ; 


60 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


also  stolen,  and  idissembled  also, 
and  they  have  put  it  even  among 
their  own  stuff. 

12  ^Therefore  the  children 
of  Israel  could  not  stand  before 
their  enemies,  but  turned  their 
backs  before  their  enemies,  be- 
cause  "  they  were  accursed : 
neither  will  1  be  with  you  any 
more,  except  ye  destroy  the  ac- 
cursed from  among  you. 

13  Up,  "sanctify  the  people, 
and  say  pSanctify  yourselves 
against    to-morrow :     for    thus 

1  See  Acts  5.  1,  2.      rn  See  Num.  14.  45.  Judg.  2.  14- 
n  Deux.  7.  26.     ch.  6.  18.      o  Ex.  19.  10.      p  ch.  3.  5. 


instead  of  ingenuously  confessing 
the  sin  and  imploring  pardon,  have 
studiously  endeavored  lo  hide  it,  as  if 
by  concealing  it  from  their  brethren 
they  had  concealed  it  also  from  me. 
The  crime  is  recited  with  the  utmost 
particularity, in  order  that  its  various 
aggravations  may  be  more  impres- 
sively set  forth.  fT  Have  put  it  even 
among  their  own  stuff.  Among  their 
own  goods. 

12.  Because  they  were  accursed.  In 
exact  accordance  with  the  threaten- 
ing before  denounced  against  them, 
ch.  6.  18.  Joshua  was  thus  informed 
that  this,  and  nothing  else,  was  the 
ground  of  the  controversy  which  God 
now  had  with  his  people.  They  had, 
by  their  iniquity,  put  themselves  out 
of  the  range  of  his  protection  and 
blessing,  and  unless  summary  pun- 
ishment was  executed  upon  the  of- 
fender, they  would  transfer  upon 
themselves  the  very  curse  denoun- 
ced against  their  adversaries.  IT  Ex- 
cept ye  destroy  the  accursed.  The  ac- 
cursed person  with  all  that  pertains 
to  him,  V.  24. 

13.  Up,  sanctify  the  people.  That 
is,  command  and  see  that  they  sancti- 
fy themselves.  Cause  them  to  purify 
their  persons  by  legal  washings,  but 
more  especially  to  put  themselves 
into  a  suitable  frame  of  mind  to  ap- 
pear before  God,  and  submit  to  the 


saith  the  Lord  God  of  Israel, 
There  is  an  accursed  thing  in 
the  midst  of  thee,  O  Israel :  thou 
canst  not  stand  before  thine  ene- 
mies, until  ye  take  away  the  ac- 
cursed thing  from  among  you. 

14  In  the  morning  therefore 
ye  shall  be  brought  according  to^ 
your  tribes  :  and  it  shall  be,  that 
the  tribe  which^  the  Lord  taketh 
shall  come  according  to  the  fam- 
ilies thereof;  and  the  family 
which  the  Lord  shall  take  shall 
come  by  households  :    and   the 

q  Prov.  16.  33. 


divine  scrutiny.  Although  the  act 
of  Achan  had  been  perpetrated  with 
so  much  caution  that  it  was  unper- 
ceived  by  any  human  being,  yet  the 
eye  of  God  had  been  upon  it,  and  he 
declared  to  Joshua  the  true  reasou  of 
his  displeasure,  and  of  Israel's  defeat. 
But,  though  he  revealed  the  fact,  he 
did  not  name  the  person  that  had  com- 
mitted it,  but  left  that  to  be  discover- 
ed in  a  w^ay  more  impressive  to  the 
nation,  and  more  merciful  to  the  of- 
fender, inasmuch  as  it  gave  him  time 
for  repentance  and  voluntary  ac- 
knowledgment. IT  There  is  an 
accursed  thing,  &c.  The  crime  of 
sacrilege  has  been  committed  in  the 
midst  of  thee,  O  Israel. 

14.  Ye  shall  be  brought.  Heb.  '  ye 
shall  come  near;'  i.  e.  to  the  taber- 
nacle, or  to  the  ark,  w^herever  that 
might  now  be  deposited.  IT  The 
tribe  which  the  Lord  taketh.  That  is, 
the  tribe  which  shall  be  discovered 
or  declared  guilty  by  the  lot.  The 
tribe  thus  indicated  is  said  to  be 
'taken  by  the  Lord,'  because  the  lot 
was  disposed  of  by  him,  according  to 
Prov.  16.  33 ;  the  transaction  was 
specially  overruled  by  him  in  his 
mysterious  providence  for  the  de- 
tection of  the  guilty.  Of  the  sacred 
use  of  lots,  see  1  Sam.  10.  20,  21.— 
14.  41,42.  Acts  1.24,26.  The  origi- 
nal for  '  take'  has  the  import  of  ar- 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VII. 


61 


household  which  the  Lord  shall 
take  shall  come  man  by  man. 

15  --And  it  shall  be,  that  he 
that  is  taken  with  the  accursed 
thing  shall  be  burnt  with  fire, 
he  and  all  that  he  hath  :  because 
he  hath  transgressed  the  cove- 
nant  of  the  Lord,  and  because 
he  thath  wrought  folly  in  Israel. 

16  IF  So  Joshua  rose  up  early 

r  Ses  1  Sam.  14.  38,  39.       b  v.  11.        i  Gen.  34. 7. 
Judg  '^0.  6. 


resting,  seizing,  being  the  appropri- 
ate term  for  the  apprehension  of 
criminals. 

15.  He  that  is  taken  with  the  accurs- 
ed thing.  Heb.  'in  the  accursed 
thing.'  That  is,  he  that  is  divinely 
pointed  out  as  being  involved  in  the 
guilt  of  the  accursed  thing.  IT  Shall 
be  burnt  with  fire.  The  doom  ex- 
pressly appointed  for  persons  or 
things  accursed,  Deut.  13.  15,  16.  In 
addition  to  this,  and  previously  to  it, 
the  culprit,  as  appears  from  v.  25, 
was  to  be  stoned  to  death  at  the  hands 
of  the  congregation.  This  was  the 
punishment  ordained  for  blasphem- 
ers and  presumptuous  offenders. 
Num.  15.  30,  35.  We  do  not  read 
that  Achan  verbally  blasphemed,  but 
all  high-handed,  deliberate  trans- 
gression is  virtual  blasphemy  and  is 
so  regarded  in  the  judgment  of  hea- 
ven. If  He  and  all  that  he  hath. 
His  sons,  daughters,  cattle  and  goods, 
&c.,  all  being,  in  the  divine  estima- 
tion, in  consequence  of  their  connec- 
tion with  him,  considered  as  infected 
with  the  taint  of  his  guilt,  and  there- 
fore exposed  to  share  with  him  in 
his  condemnation.  This  may  appear 
to  human  view  a  severe,  if  not  an 
unjust,  sentence,  but  we  can  only  say 
it  is  in  strict  accordance  with  the 
general  analogy  of  God's  providence 
in  this  world,  and  as  such  is  to  be  un- 
hesitatingly acknowledged  as  bear- 
ing the  impress  of  perfect  equity  and 
justice.  IT  Hath  wrought  folly  in 
Israel.  That  is,  a  base,  foolish  and 
sinful  deed,  such  as  every  wise  and 
well  principled  man  would  utterly 


in  the  morning,  and  brought  Is- 
rael by  their  tribes;  and  the 
tribe  of  Judah  was  taken  : 

17  And  he  brought  the  family 
of  Judah  ;  and  he  took  the  fam- 
ily of  the  Zarhites  :  and  he 
brought  the  family  of  the  Zar- 
hites  man  by  man ;  and  Zabdi 
was  taken  : 

18  And  he  brought  his  house- 


condemn.  In  this  sense  the  term 
'  folly '  frequently  occurs.  See  Gen. 
34.  7.  Deut.  32.  21.  2  Sam.  13.  12.  It 
was  a  conduct  that  brought  shame 
and  disgrace  upon  a  nation,  sustain- 
ing the  reputation  of  a  wise  and  un- 
derstanding people. 

17.  And  he  brought  the  family  of 
Judah.  That  is,  the  several  families, 
the  collection  of  families,  collect, 
sing,  for  plur.  ^{  He  brought  the 
family  of  the  Zarhites,  man  by  man. 
It  was  ordered  v.  14,  that  all  Israel 
should  come  near  by  tribes,  and  one 
tribe  was  to  be  fixed  on ;  then  that 
tribe  came  by  its  families,  and  one 
family  was  fixed  on ;  then  came  that 
family  by  its  households,  and  one 
household  was  fixed  on  ;  and  finally 
that  household  coming  man  by  man, 
one  man  was  fixed  on.  In  the  pre- 
sent passage  there  appears  to  be  some 
confusion  in  this  prescribed  order  of 
selection.  In  speaking  of  Zarhi  the 
phrase  '  by  households'  is  left  out, 
and  'man  by  man'  expressed  twice.  ' 
The  probability  is  that  a  slight  error 
has  crept  into  the  original  text;  in- 
stead of  C'^ID^b  ^^^■'^  ^y  'mcin,  V.  17, 
the  true  word  is  undoubtedly  Q^ijnisb 
by  households,  and  this  reading,  ac- 
cording to  Kennicott,  is  preserved  in 
six  Hebrew  copies,  and  in  the  Syriac 
version. — '  We  may  well  imagine 
how  Achan's  countenance  changed, 
and  what  horror  and  confusion  seiz- 
ed him,  when  he  was  singled  out  as 
the  delinquent,  when  the  eyes  of  all 
Israel  were  fastened  upon  him,  and 
every  one  was  ready  to  say,  '  Have 
we  found  thee,  O  our  enemy !'  Henry. 


62 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


hold  man  by  man  ;  and  Achan 
the  son  of  Carmi,  the  son  of  Zab- 
di,  the  son  of  Zerah,  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah,  "was  taken. 

19    And    Joshua    said    unto 
*     Achan,  My  son,  ^give,  I  pray 

X  See  1  Sam.  6.  5.    Jer.  13.  16. 


19.  And  Joshua  said  unto  Achan, 
My  son.  Adopting  this  affectionate 
style  of  address  to  show  that  the  pre- 
sent severe  proceedings  against  him 
were  not  prompted  by  any  personal  ill 
will,  or  an  angry  spirit  of  revenge. 
Though  he  was  obliged  to  a.ct  as  a 
magistrate,  yet  he  was  willing  Ac- 
han should  know  that  he  felt  as  a  fa- 
ther, and  in  so  doing  proposed  a 
noble  example  to  all  who  have  the  ad- 
ministration of  justice,  '  not  to  insult 
over  those  who  are  in  misery,  though 
they  may  have  brought  themselves 
into  it  by  their  own  wickedness,  but 
to  treat  even  offenders  with  the  spirit 
of  meekness,  not  knowing  what  we 
ourselves  should  have  done,  if  God 
had  put  us  into  the  hand  of  our  own 
counsels.'  Henry.  ^[  Give  glory  to 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel.  Heb.  '  put, 
appoint,  ordain,  glor}'  to  the  Lord 
God.'  That  is,  by  confessing  the 
truth,  by  honestly  pleading  guilty  to 
the  charge,  by  ingenuously  acknow- 
ledging the  sin  and  the  justice  of  the 
punishment  which  it  incurred.  By 
so  doing  he  would  not  only  ascribe 
to  God  the  glory  of  his  omniscience, 
from  which  no  secrets  are  hid,  in  de- 
tecting and  exposing  the  crime,  but 
also  of  his  justice  in  punishing  it. 
He  would  in  fact  thereby  most  eifec- 
tually  give  him  the  praise  of  all  his 
perfections,  and  consult  the  best  in- 
terests of  his  soul  in  the  world  to 
come.  It  appears  from  a  similar 
usage  in  several  other  instances,  that 
God  regards  the  confession  of  the  truth 
as  very  intimately  connected  with 
giving  him  glory.  Thus,  Luke  23. 
47,  '  Now  when  the  centurion  saw 
what  was  done,  he  glorified  God  (i.  e. 
gave  him  glory),  saying,  certainly 
this  was  a  righteous  man.'  John  9. 
24,  '  Then  again  called  they  the  man 


thee,  glory  to  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel,  >and  make  confession  un- 
to  him ;  and  Hell  me  now  what 
thou  hast  done,  hide  it  not  from 
me. 

20  And  Achan  answered  Jo- 

y  Num   5.  6,  7-     2  Chr.  30.  22.      Ps.  51.  3.     Dan. 
9.  4        z  1  Sam.  14    43. 


that  was  blind,  and  said  unto  him, 
Give  God  the  praise ;  we  know  that 
this  man  is  a  sinner ;'  on  which  pas- 
sage Mr.  Barnes  remarks,  '  The 
meaning  here  is  not,  '  give  God  the 
praise  for  healing  you,'  but  confess 
that  you  have  declared  to  us  a 
falsehood ;  and  that  you  have  endea- 
vored to  impose  on  us ;  and  by  thus 
confessing  your  sin  give  praise  and 
honor  to  God,  who  condemns  all  im- 
posture and  falsehood  ;  and  whom 
you  will  thus  acknowledge  to  be  right 
in  your  condemnation.'  Isothing 
should  be  more  deeply  impressed  up- 
on the  mind  of  the  sinner,  than  that 
the  humble  and  penitent  confession 
of  guilt  tends  directly  to  the  glory  of 
God,  and  that  withholding  confes- 
sion is  robbing  him  of  his  right,  as 
well  as  incurring  his  displeasure. 
IT  Tellmenowu-hatthouhast clone.  The 
testimony  of  God  would  have  been 
sufficient,  who  could  neither  deceive 
nor  be  deceived.  Joshua  also,  who 
was  now  knowing  to  his  crime,  might 
have  declared  it,  but  he  could  not 
prove  it ;  and  as  it  was  intended  that 
the  offender  should  be  made  a  public 
monument  of  justice,  and  be  held  up 
as  a  warning  to  the  whole  nation,  it 
was  desirable  that  the  most  indispu- 
table evidence  of  his  guilt  should  be 
adduced.  He  is  made  therefore  him- 
self to  supply  a  testimony  which 
none  could  controvert  or  doubt ;  even 
to  bear  witness  against  himself. 
Joshua  requires  this  confession  to  be 
made  to  him,  because  he  stood,  both 
to  Achan  and  to  the  people,  in  God's 
stead.  It  was  in  effect  the  same, 
therefore,  as  making  it  to  God  him- 
self. 

20.  Indeed  I  have  sinned,  &ic.  The 
confession,  though  not  made  till  it 
was  extorted,  was  finally  made  with 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VII. 


63 


shua,  and  said,  Indeed  I  have 
sinned  against  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel,  and  thus  and  thus  have  I 
done. 

21  When  I  saw  among  the 
spoils  a  goodly  Babylonish  gar- 
ment, and  two  hundred  shekels 
of  silver,  and  a  wedge  of  gold  of 
fifty  shekels  weight  then  I  cov- 
eted them,  and  took  them,  and 


great  frankness  and  ingenuousness. 
He  recites  the  circumstances  of  the 
act  in  all  their  particulars  and  with 
all  their  aggravations;  attempts  no 
excuse  or  extenuation ;  complains 
not  of  the  severity  of  the  sentence, 
nor  seeks  to  prevent  or  delay  its  ex- 
ecution; from  which  we  may  iji- 
dulge  the  hope  however  feeble,  that 
the  poor  culprit  found  mercy  for  his 
soul. 

21.  A  goodly  Babylonish  garment. 
Heb.  '  a  splendid  or  costly  robe  of 
Shinar,' rendered  'Babylonish  gar- 
ment,' because  Babylon  or  Babel 
was  situated  in  the  plain  of  Shinar. 
Bochart  and  Calmet  have  shown  at 
large  that  Babylonish  robes  were 
very  splendid  and  in  high  repute. 
Ezek.  23.  15.  Josephus  calls  it  'a 
royal  garment  woven  entirely  of 
gold.'  The  word  signifies  such  a 
robe  or  mantle  as  princes  wore  when 
they  appeared  in  state,  Jon.  3.  6  and 
this  probably  belonged  to  the  king  of 
Jericho.  IT  Tuio  hundred  shekels 

of  silver.  In  weight,  not  in  coin.  Its 
value  in  our  currency  was  a  little 
upwards  of  one  hundred  dollars. 
IT  A  wedge  of  gold.  Heb.  'a  tongue 
of  gold,' i.  e.  what  we  understand  by 
an  ingot  of  gold,  a  corruption,  ac- 
cording to  A.  Clarke,  of  the  word 
lingotsignifymgalittletongue.  IT  I 
coveted  them  and  took  them.  The 
three  words  occurring  in  this  narra- 
tive, '  I  saw — I  coveted — I  took,' 
strikingly  express  the  rise,  progress, 
and  consummation  of  crime.  The 
whole  process  is  here  laid  open. 
The  inward  corruption  of  the  heart 
is  first  drawn  forth  by  some  enticing 


behold,  they  are  hid  in  the  earth 
in  the  midst  of  my  tent,  and  the 
silver  under  it. 

22  IF  So  Joshua  sent  messen- 
gers, and  they  ran  unto  the  tent, 
and  behold,  it  was  hid  in  his 
tent,  and  the  silver  under  it. 

23  And  they  took  them  out 
of  the  midst  of  the  tent,  and 
brought  them  unto  Joshua  and 


object.  The  desire  of  gratification 
is  then  formed,  and  the  determina- 
tion to  attain  it  fixed.  Then  comes 
the  act  itself,  followed  by  its  bitter 
and  fearful  consequences.  In  this 
instance  the  temptation  entered  by 
the  eye  ;  he  saw  those  fine  things  as 
Eve  saw  the  forbidden  fruit ;  and  he 
allowed  his  eyes  to  gaze  and  feast 
upon  the  interdicted  objects.  The 
sight  inflamed  his  desire;  and  he 
coveted  them.  The  next  step  was  to 
carry  out  the  feeling  into  act;  the 
desire  prompted  him  to  take  them,  as 
he  actually  did,  and  thus  accom- 
plished the  fearful  deed.  So  natu- 
rally does  lust,  when  it  hath  concei- 
ved, bring  forth  sin,  and  sin  when 
finished  bringeth  forth  death.  The 
only  way  to  avoid  sin  in  action  is  to 
quench  its  incipient  workings  in  the 
heart,  to  mortify  sinful  desires,  espe- 
cially the  desire  of  worldly  wealth, 
the  source  of  such  untold  evils  in  the 
world.  IF  And  the  silver  under  it. 
That  is,  under  the  Babylonish  gar- 
ment; covered  with  it,  or  wrapped 
up  in  it. 

22.  So  Joshita  sent  messengers.  To 
put  to  the  test  the  truth  of  his  confes- 
sion. IT  And.  they  ranunto  the  tent. 
Ran,  not  only  to  show  their  alacrity 
in  oi)eying  Joshua's  orders,  but  to 
show  also  how  uneasy  they  were  till 
the  camp  was  cleared  of  the  accursed 
thing,  and  the  divine  favor  regained. 
IT  It  loas  hid.  That  is,  the  parcel  of 
things  mentioned  v.  21,  24. 

23.  LoAd  them  out  before  the  Lord. 
Heb.  'poured  them  out  before  the 
Lord.'  That  is,  before  the  ark  of 
the  covenant,  the  hallowed  sign  ot 


64 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


unto  all  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  laid  them  out  before  the 
Lord. 

24  And  Joshua  and  all  Israel 
with  him,  took  Achan  the  son 
of  Zerah,  and  the  silver,  and  the 
garment,  and  the  wedge  of  gold, 
and  his  sons,  and  his  daughters, 


the  Lord's  presence,  where  Joshua 
and  the  elders  were  awaiting  the  is- 
sue of  the  transaction. 

24.  Afid  his  sons  and  his  daughters. 
As  no  intimation  is  given  that 
Achan's  sons  or  any  of  his  family 
were  accessary  to  his  crime,  we  are 
not  warranted  perhaps  in  supposing 
that  they  were  now  condemned  to 
suffer  on  that  account;  although  it 
may  be  admitted  that  he  could  not  ve- 
ry easily  have  concealed  the  articles 
in  the  midst  of  the  tent  without  some 
of  its  inmates  being  privy  to  it.  But 
the  supposition  of  their  guilt  we  do 
not  deem  necessary  to  vindicate  the 
equity  and  justice  of  the  sentence. 
As  all  lives  are  really  forfeited  by 
sin  ;  as  the  ungodly  deserve  worse 
punishment  than  temporal  death, 
and  as  God,  the  supreme  arbiter  of 
life  and  death,  may  exact  the  debt 
which  all  owe  in  any  way  or  time 
that  seemeth  to  him  good,  we  know 
not  who  can  question  the  righteous- 
ness of  his  judgment  on  this  occasion. 
If  evil,  no  injustice  would  be  done 
them,  and  if  good,  they  would  the 
sooner  be  taken  to  their  reward; 
and  we  can  easily  conceive  that  the 
death  of  a  few  persons  at  this  par- 
ticular juncture  and  under  the  sol- 
emn circumstances  in  which  they 
now  stood,  might  be  attended  with  the 
happiest  results.  They  were  now 
in  the  commencement  of  their  na- 
tional existence  in  Canaan.  It  was 
necessary  that  the  people  should 
know,  by  a  fresh  demonstration, 
"what  a  God  they  had  to  do  with. 
Whilst  they  learned  from  his  mer- 
cies how  greatly  he  was  to  be  loved, 
they  needed  also  to  learn  from  his 


and  his  oxen,, and  his  asses,  and 
his  sheep,  and  his  tent,  and  all 
that  he  had  :  and  they  brought 
them  unto  *the  valley  of  Achor. 
25  And  Joshua  said,  ^^Why 
hast  thou  troubled  us  ?  the  Lord 
shall  trouble  thee  this  day.  "^And 
all  Israel  stoned  him  with  stones, 

a  V.  26.  ch.  15.  7.      b  ch.  6.  13.     1  Chro.  2.  7.     Gal. 
5.  12.    c  De.it.  17.  5. 


judgments  how  greatly  he  was  to  be 
feared.  This  lesson  would  be  effec- 
tually taught  them  by  the  present  act 
of  severity,  and  the  death  of  a  sin- 
gle individual  might,  by  its  admon- 
itory influence,  be  the  means  of  af- 
terwards preventing  the  death  of 
many  thousands.  II  His  oxen,  and 
his  asses,  and  his  sheep.  Brute  beasts 
are  of  course  incapable  of  sin  and  so 
of  punishment,  properly  so  called, 
but  as  they  are  made  for  man's  use, 
and  are  daily  killed  for  food,  there 
seems  no  impropriety  in  taking 
away  their  lives  for  moral  purposes, 
to  show  us  more  impressively  the 
destructive  and  detestable  nature  of 
sin.  The  truth  is,  the  animal  world 
being  orignally  formed  for  the  ser- 
vice of  man.  is  to  be  considered 
as  a  kind  of  appendage  to  him  and 
so  is  made  to  share  in  his  lot, 
whether  of  weal  or  woe.  On  this 
principle  the  earth  with  its  vari- 
ous tribes  felt  the  effects  of  the  curse 
when  Adam  sinned,  and  the  whole 
creation  has  groaned  in  bondage  ever 
since.  Occurrences  like  that  men- 
tioned in  the  text  are  merely  illus- 
trations of  this  general  law.  ^  And 
they  brought  them  unto  the  valley  of 
Achor.  Heb.  '  brought  them  up, 
made  them  go  up  or  ascend.'  Per- 
sons are  generally  said  to  descend  to 
a  valley,  but  the  phraseology  here  is 
probably  founded  on  the  relative  sit? 
nation  of  the  valley  and  the  camp. 
In  going  to  it  they  may  have  been 
obliged  to  travel  some  distance  over 
the  hilly  country  towards  the  inte- 
rior. This  would  be  ascen ding  from 
the  Jordan,  and  that  such  was  the 
fact  is  to  be  inferred  from  ch.  15.  7. 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VII. 


65 


and  burned  them  with  fire,  after 

they  had  stoned  them  with  stones. 

26  And  they  ^raised  over  him 

d  Ch.  8.  29.      2  Sam.  18.  17.       Lam.  ?.  53. 


The  valley  is  called  Achor  by  anti- 
cipation. It  was  so  named  from  the 
event. 

25,  l\^y  hast  thou  troiMed  ns  7 
the  Lord  shall  trovMe  thee  this  day. 
This  is  said  in  allusion  to  the  words 
of  the  warning  ch.  4.  18,  '  Lest  ye 
make  the  camp  of  Israel  a  cnrse  and 
trouble  it.'  From  this  circumstance 
his  name  Achan  seems  to  have  been 
changed  to  Achar^  tro'uhle,  i.  e.  troub- 
les 1  Chron.  2.  7.  See  on  ch.  6. 
18.  How  strikingly  did  Achan's 
conduct  verify  the  saying  of  Solo- 
mon, Prov.  15.  27,  '  He  that  is 
greedy  of  gain  troubleth  his  own 
house;'  and  how  clear  from  this  in- 
stance, is  it  that  sin  is  a  very  trouble- 
some, as  well  as  a  very  wicked  thing, 
and  that  not  only  to  the  sinner  him- 
self, but  to  all  around  him.  IT  And 
all  Israel  stoned  him  with  stones. 
The  burning  therefore  commanded 
V.  15,  must  have  had  reference  to  the 
dead  body.  He  was  first  stoned, 
and  his  carcase  then  consigned  to 
the  flames,  himself  and  all  his  shar- 
ing the  same  fate.  '  He  perished 
not  alone  in  his  iniquity.'  The  pun- 
ishment is  said  to  have  been  execu- 
ted by  '  all  Israel,'  not  because  every 
individual  without  exception  had  a 
hand  in  it,  but  because  all  were  pre- 
sent as  spectators,  all  were  consent- 
ing to  the  act,  and  as  many  as  could 
be  were  active  agents  in  it  in  the 
name  of  the  rest.  This  showed  the 
universal  detestation  of  the  deed  and 
their  anxiety  to  avert  from  them  the 
divine  displeasure. 

26.  Raised  over  him  a  great  heap  of 
stones.  As  a  monument  to  perpetu- 
ate the  memory  of  this  transaction, 
and  to  serve  as  a  warning  to  all  fu- 
ture generations  to  beware  of  pre- 
sumptuous sin.  The  burying  place 
of  Absalom  was  distinguished  by  a 
similar  erection,  as  a  monument  of 
his  disgrace  to  future  ages.  2  Sam. 
18.  17.       IF  Unto  this  day.    That  is, 


a  great  heap  of  stones  unto  this 
day.  So  nhe  Lord  turned  from 
the    fierceness   of    his    anger : 

eDcui.  13.  17.    2  Sam.  21.  14. 


that  remaineth  unto  this  day.  In  a 
parallel  passage,  ch.  8.  29,  the  sup- 
plementary words  '  that  remaineth' 
are  inserted  in  the  text.  IT  Was 
called  the  valley  of  Achor.  Or,  Heb. 
'  the  valley  of  trouble'  from  the 
event.  In  Hos.  2.  15,  the  valley  of 
Achor  is  said  to  be  given  to  Israel 
as  a  '  door  of  hope,'  in  allusion  to  the 
transaction  that  now  occurred  here, 
and  implying,  perhaps,  that  when 
they  had  repented  and  put  away  the 
accursed  thing,  then  there  would  be- 
gin to  be  a  door  of  hope  concerning 
them,  and  that  the  very  places,  which 
had  before  been  the  scenes  of  trouble- 
some judgments  and  the  memorials 
of  wrath,  should  henceforth  become 
only  the  mementos  of  the  most  sig- 
nal mercies.  Compare  Ezra  10.  2. 
Where  sin  is  seen  and  lamented,  and 
decisive  steps  taken  towards  refor- 
mation, there  are  tokens  for  good, 
and  even  gross  offenders  may  receive 
encouragement.  God  is  always 
pleased  to  have  the  monuments  of 
his  displeasure  converted,  by  the 
conversion  of  sinners,  into  the  re- 
membrancers of  kindness. — From 
the  foregoing  narrative  we  may 
learn,  (1)  The  deceitfulness  of  sin. 
Achan,  at  first,  had  in  mind  only  the 
satisfaction  he  should  feel  in  possess- 
ing the  Babylonish  garment  and  the 
wedge  and  shekels  of  gold  and  silver. 
The  ideas  of  shame  and  remorse  and 
misery  were  hid  from  him.  But  ah  \ 
with  what  different  thoughts  did  he 
contemplate  his  gains,  when  inquisi- 
tion was  made  to  discover  the  offen- 
der !  How  would  he  begin  to  tremble 
when  he  saw  that  his  own  tribe  was 
selected  as  containing  the  guilty  per- 
son !  How  would  his  terror  be  in- 
creased when  he  saw  his  own  family^ 
pointed  out  I  and  what  dread  would 
seize  upon  him  when  the  lot  fell 
upon  his  household !  What  a  paleness 
would  be  spread  over  his  cheeks,  and 
what  a  trembling  would  take  hold  of 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


wherefore  the  name  of  that  place 
was  called,  ^The  valley  of 
Achor,  unto  this  day. 

CHAPTER   Vni. 

A  ND  the  Lord  said  unto  Josh- 

"^ua,    "Fear   not,   neither    be 

f  V.  24      li.  §5   10      Hos.  2  15.        a  Deul,  1.  21.  & 
?   18.  4  31.    8.  eh.  1.  9. 


his  limbs!  What  now  becomes  of  all 
his  expected  enjoyments'?  What 
beauty  does  he  now  see  in  the  splen- 
did garment,  or  what  value  in  the 
shining  metals'?  Ahi  could  he  but 
recall  the  act,  which  has  thus  brought 
him  to  shame  and  ruin !  But  it  is  too 
late.  The  deed  is  done,  and  the 
sense  of  guilt,  as  with  the  fangs  of 
a  serpent,  has  fastened  itself  upon 
iis  inmost  spirit !  Thus  too  with  the 
transgressor  of  every  name.  The 
thief,  the  adulterer,  the  seducer,  in 
the  commission  of  crime,  thinks  only 
of  the  pleasure  the  gratification  of 
his  lusts  will  afford.  But  he  has  no 
sooner  attained  his  object  than  his 
before  blinded  eyes  are  opened,  and 
the  enormity  of  his  sin  stares  him 
full  in  the  face.  Then  he  finds  that 
it  stings  like  a  serpent  and  bites  like 
an  adder.  (2)  The  certainty  of  its  ex- 
posure. Achan  took  great  precau- 
tions to  conceal  his  iniquity,  but  it 
was  unavailing.  Men  may  hide 
their  wickedness  from  their  fellow 
men,  but  not  from  God.  His  provi- 
dence will  sooner  or  later  bring  the 
hidden  iniquity  to  the  light,  and  for 
the  most  part  in  this  world.  But  cer- 
tainly in  the  great  day  of  the  revela- 
tion of  all  things.  To  every  sinner 
therefore  may  the  solemn  warning 
be  addressed, '  Be  sure  your  sin  will 
find  you  out.'  (3)  The  awfulness  of 
its  reward.  Who  does  not  shudder 
at  the  thought  of  that  vengeance 
•which  was  executed  on  Achan  and 
his  family'?  Who  does  not  see  how 
fierce  the  indignation  of  God  against 
sin  was,  when  the  sin  of  one  single 
person  prevailed  more  to  provoke 
him  against  the  whole  nation,  than 
the  innocence  of  the  whole  did  to  pa- 


thou  dismayed  :  take  all  the  peo- 
ple, of  war  with  thee,  and  arise, 
go  up  to  Ai :  see,  ^I  have  given 
into  thy  hand  the  king  of  Ai, 
and  his  people,  and  his  city, 
and  his   land  : 

2  And  thou  shalt  do  to  Ai  and 


cify  his  wrath  against  the  individ" 
ual '?  When  in  fact  nothing  but  the 
most  signal  punishment  of  the  indi- 
vidual could  reconcile  him  to  the  na- 
tion to  which  he  belonged'?  Yet  was 
all  this  but  a  faint  shadow  of  the  in- 
dignation which  he  will  manifest  in 
a  future  world.  We  should  profit 
from  such  a  history  as  this.  We 
should  learn  to  dread  the  displeasure 
of  the  Almighty,  and  to  glorify  him 
now  by  an  ingenuous  confession, 
that  he  may  not  be  glorified  hereafter 
in  our  eternal  condemnation, 

CHAPTER  Vni, 

1.  Fear  not,  neither  be  thou  dis^ 
mayed.  The  sin  of  Achan  and  its 
consequences  had  probably  weighed 
deeply  on  the  spirits  of  Joshua,  griev- 
ing and  discouraging  him,  so  as  to 
render  this  renewed  exhortation  pe- 
culiarly seasonable  at  this  time. 
When  we  have  faithfully  put  away 
the  sin  that  separated  between  God 
and  us,  we  may  confidently  expect 
the  light  of  his  countenance  to  be  re- 
stored to  us,  and  that  he  will  animate 
us  with  such  encouragements  as 
shall  banish  the  fear  of  our  most 
formidable  enemies.  IT  Take  all 
the  people  of  war  with  thee.  This 
can  hardly  be  understood  of  the  whole 
number  of  men  of  war  in  the  congre- 
gation, which  amounted  to  upwards 
of  six  hundred  thousand.  It  is  more 
probable  that  by  '  all  the  people  of 
war'  is  to  be  understood  the  thirty 
thousand  men  mentioned  v.  3,  the 
choicest  part,  the  flower  of  the  host, 
those  who  were  most  experienced  in 
warlike  affairs.  The  main  body  of 
the  soldiery  remained  in  the  camp 
at  Gilgal.       IT  J  have  given.    I  have 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


67 


her  king,  as  thou  didst  unto 
'Jericho  and  her  king ;  only 
^the  spoil  thereof,  and  the  cattle 
thereof,  shall  ye  take  for  a  prey 
unto  yourselves :  lay  thee  an 
ambush  for  the  city  behind  it. 


purposed  to  give.  The  event  is  cer- 
tain, that  they  shall  be  delivered  in- 
to your  power.  IT  And  his  land. 
That  is,  the  territory  immediately 
adjoining  the  city,  and  under  the  ju- 
risdiction of  the  king. 

2.  Thou  shalt  do  to  Ai  and  her 
king  as  thou  didst  unto  Jericho  and 
her  king.  That  is,  in  general,  in 
the  main,  not  in  every  particular. 
Ai  was  to  be  overcome  and  destroy- 
ed, and  in  this  respect  its  fate  was  to 
resemble  that  of  Jericho.  But  the 
precise  manner  of  its  destruction 
was  not  the  same ;  the  king  of  Ai 
was  not  to  be  put  to  death  by  the 
sword,  as  the  king  of  Jericho  had 
been,  nor  was  a  curse  denounced 
against  him  that  should  rebuild  Ai, 
as  was  the  case  in  regard  to  Jericho. 
IT  Only  the  spoil  thereof — shall  ye 
take  to  yourselves.  This  was  the 
grand  point  of  difference  in  the  pre- 
scribed manner  of  treating  the  two 
cities.  In  the  one  case,  the  spoil 
was  granted  to  the  people ;  in  the 
other  not.  There  was,  therefore,  no 
danger  of  their  committing  the  same 
trespass  here  that  they  had  there. 
•  Observe  how  Achan,  who  catched  at 
forbidden  spoil,  lost  that,  and  life, 
and  all,  but  the  rest  of  the  people, 
who  had  conscientiously  refrained 
from  the  accursed  thing  were  quick- 
ly recompensed  for  their  obedience 
with  the  spoil  of  Ai.  The  way  to 
have  the  comfort  of  what  God  allows, 
is,  to  forbear  what  he  forbids  us.  No 
man  shall  lose  by  his  selfdenial.' 
Henry.  IT  Lay  thee  an  ambush 

for  the  city  behind  it.  That  is,  on 
the  west  side  of  the  city,  as  the  Isra- 
elites, at  the  time  of  receiving  this 
command  were  on  the  east  side  of  it, 
and  the  orientals  in  designating  the 
relative  position  of  places,  were  al- 
ways supposed  to  face  the  east.  This 


3  IT  So  Joshua  arose,  and  all 
the  people  of  war,  to  go  up 
against  Ai :  and  Joshua  chose 
out  thirty  thousand  n>ighty  men 
of  valour,  and  sent  them  by  night. 

4  And  he  commanded  them 


stratagem  is  to  be  justified  on  the 
ground  that  God  commanded  it, 
and  it  is  obvious  that  if  it  was 
right  for  them  to  overpower  their 
enemies,  it  was  equally  right  to  out- 
wit them,  if  they  could  do  it.  '  No 
treaties  were  violated,  no  oaths  bro- 
ken, no  falsehoods  mtered ;  and  it 
cannot  be  requisite  to  inform  our 
enemies  of  our  intentions  and  pur- 
poses, however  they  may  be  deceived 
by  appearances.  But  perjuries,  lies, 
and  infractions  of  treaties  cannot,  in 
any  war  or  in  any  case,  be  allowa- 
ble or  excusable.'     Scott. 

3.  So  Joshua  arose  to  go  up  against 
Ai.  That  is,  set  about  the  business 
of  going  up,  took  measures  prepar- 
atory to  it,  consulted  and  laid  the  plan 
of  operations.  It  does  not  express 
the  fact  of  their  actually  marching 
towards  Ai,  for  this  is  inconsistent 
with  what  follows,  but  according  to 
a  familiar  idiom  of  the  Hebrew,  on 
which  we  have  remarked  before,  ch. 
6.  25,  merely  implies  their  entering 
upon  the  preliminary  measures.  '  To 
arise'  in  innumerable  instances  in 
the  scriptures  means  nothing  more 
than  to  address  one^s  self  to  a  particu- 
lar business.,  to  set  about  it,  to  engage 
in  it.  IT  Chose  out  thirty  thousand 
mighty  men.  The  whole  number  of 
men  to  be  employed  on  this  occasion. 
IT  And  se7it  them  away  by  night.  That 
is,  as  we  suppose,  not  the  whole  of 
the  thirty  thousand,  but  the  party  of 
five  thousand  expressly  mentioned  v. 
12.  The  next  verse,  as  well  as  v.  9, 
seems  to  limit  it  to  those  who  were 
'to  lie  in  wait,'  and  these  were  un- 
questionably the  five  thousand,  and 
not  the  whole  detachment  specified 
above,  who  could  not  well  have  exe- 
cuted such  a  design  without  being 
discovered.  It  is  true  that  according 
to  this  interpretation  we  must  suppose 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


saying,  Behold,  ^ye  shall  lie  in 
wait  against  the  city,  even  be- 
hind the  city  :  go  not  very  far 
from  the  city,  but  be  ye  all 
ready : 

5  And  I,  and  all  the  people 
that  are  with  me,  will  approach 
unto  the  city  :  and  it  shall  come 
to  pass  when  they  come  out 
against  us,  as  at  the  first,  that 
fwe  will  flee  before  them, 

6  (For  they  will  come  out  af- 
ter us)  till  we  have  drawn  them 
from  the  city  :  for  they  will  say. 
They  flee  before  us,  as  at  the 
first :  therefore  we  will  flee  be- 
fore them. 

7  Then  ye  shall  rise  up  from 

eJudf.  20.  29.        f  Judg.  20.  32. 


the  ambush,  and  seize  upon  the 
city  :  for  the  Lord  your  God 
will  deliver  it  into  your  hand. 

8  And  it  shall  be  when  ye 
have  taken  the  city  that  ye  shall 
set  the  city  on  fire  :  according 
to  the  commandment  of  the 
Lord  shall  ye  do.  &See,  I 
have  commanded  you. 

9  ^  Joshua  therefore  sent 
them  forth  ;  and  they  went  to 
lie  in  ambush,  and  abode  between 
Beth. el  and  Ai,  on  the  west  side 
of  Ai :  but  Joshua  lodged  that 
night  among  the  people. 

10  And  Joshua  rose  up  early 
in  the  morning,  and  numbered 
the  people,  and  went  up,  he  and 

g2.Sam.  13.28. 


the  pronoun  '  them'  to  be  put  before 
its  antecedent,  which  is  left  to  be  in- 
ferred from  the  tenor  of  the  ensuing 
narrative,  but  this  is  no  unusual 
thing  with  the  sacred  writers.  See 
Ex.  14.  19.  Ps.  87.  1.— 105.  19.  Prov. 
7.  8.  On  any  other  mode  of  construc- 
tion it  is  extremely  difficult  to  make 
out  a  consistent  narration  of  the  facts. 
The  reasons  for  sending  an  ambus- 
cade by  'flight  are  too  obvious  to  re- 
quire remark. 

4.  And  he  commanded  them.  That 
is,  the  party  of  5,000  just  spoken  of 
as  sent  away  by  night. 

5.  All  the  people  that  are  tvith  me. 
That  is,  the  25,000  remaining  after 
the  5,000  were  sent  away,  and  whom 
he  kept  for  a  lure  to  draw  out  the  in- 
habitants of  Ai  from  the  city.  IT  As 
at  the  first.  As  on  the  former  ex- 
pedition when  Israel  was  so  sadly 
worsted. 

6.  Till  we  have  drawn  them.  Heb. 
'  till  we  have  pulled,  or  plucked 
them.' 

7.  Then  shall  ye  rise  up  from  the 
ambush.  Upon  the  signal  given, 
v.  18. 

8.  Ye  shall  setthe  city  on  fire.  Pro- 
bably this  means  no^  more  than  that 


they  should  kindle  a  fire  in  the  city, 
the  smoke  of  which  should  be  an  in- 
dication that  they  had  taken  it.  Had 
they  set  fire  to  the  whole  city,  the 
spoils  which  were  to  be  divided 
among  the  people,  would  have  been 
all  consumed.  It  appears  moreover 
from  V.  28,  that  the  city  was  not  burnt 
till  afterwards. 

9.  Joshua  therefore  sent  them  forth. 
That  is,  the  detachment  of  five  thou- 
sand spoken  of  above,  and  designa- 
ted by  the  pronoun  'them,'  v.  3. 
IT  Joshua  lodged  that  night  among 
the  people.  That  is,  the  people  of 
war,  as  they  are  called,  v.  11,  or  in 
other  words  ihe  25,000.  Others  sup- 
pose the  night  was  spent  at  the  camp 
at  Gilgal  with  the  main  body  of  the 
people.     But  this  is  less  likely. 

10.  Numbered  the  people.  Or,  Heb. 
'  visited,  inspected,  mustered,  set  in 
order.'  This  again  probably  means 
the  band  of  25,000  whom  he  care- 
fully reviewed  to  see  that  they  were 
in  perfect  readiness,  and  that  none 
had  withdrawn  themselves  during 
the  darkness  of  the  night  preceed- 
ing.  It  would  thus  also  appear  more 
clearly  when  the  work  was  done, 
that  it  was  effected  without  any  loss 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


the  elders  of  Israel,  before  the 
people  to  Ai. 

11  i^Ancl  all  the  people,  even 
the  'people  of  war  that  were  with 
him,  went  up,  and  drew  riigh,  and 
canne  before  the  city,  and  pitch- 
ed on  the  north  side  of  Ai : 
now  there  teas  a  valley  between 
them  and  Ai. 

12  And  he  took  about  five 
thousand  men,  and  set  them  to 
lie  in  ambush  between  Beth-el 
and  Ai,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
city. 


of  men,  whereby  a  new  ground  of 
encouragement  and  confidence  in 
God  would  be  afforded.  IF  He 
and  the  elders  of  Israel.  As  a  kind 
of  council  of  war,  to  give  more 
weight  and  solemnity  to  the  proceed- 
ing, and  to  see  to  the  just  and  equal 
distribution  of  the  spoil.  The  elders 
were  usually  associated  with  the 
leader  in  every  important  measure 
that  concerned  the  interests  of  the 
people. 

12.  And  he  took  about  jive  thousand 
men.  Rather,  '  he  had  taken.'  The 
verse  is  apparently  thrown  in  as  a 
parenthesis  with  a  view  to  give  a 
more  particular  explanation  of  what 
is  said,  in  a  general  way,  v,  3, 9.  In- 
cidents omitted  in  their  proper  place 
are  often  brought  in,  in  this  manner, 
in  order  to  prevent  the  interruption 
of  the  previous  narrative. 

13.  Their  Hers  in  wait.  Heb. 
'their  lying  in  wait,  their  ambus- 
cade,' abst.  for  concrete.  Or  it 
may  be  rendered '  their  heel,'  i.  e.  the 
hinder  part  of  the  army,  referring  to 
the  party  that  lay  in  ambush. 
IT  Went  that  night  into  the  midst  of 
the  v-alley.  Thai,  is,  as  is  most 
likely,  very  early  in  the  morning, 
when  it  was  yet  dark,  as  John,  20.  1. 
It  seems  hardly  probable,  that  when 
every  thing  was  ready  they  should 
have  remained  inactive  during  a 
whole  day.    We  prefer  the  opinion 


13  And  when  they  had  set 
the  people,  even  all  the  host  that 
was  on  the  north  of  the  city,  and 
their  liers  in  wait  on  the  west 
of  the  city,  Joshua  went  that 
night  into  the  midst  of  the  val- 
ley. 

14  IF  And  it  came  to  pass 
when  the  king  of  Ai  saw  it,  that 
they  hasted  and  rose  up  early, 
and  the  men  of  the  city  went 
out  against  Israel  to  battle,  he 
and  all  his  people,  at  a  time  ap- 
pointed, before  the  plain  :  but  he 


that  Joshua,  having  sent  away  the 
five  thousand  in  the  evening  of  the 
previous  day,  and  having  taken  a 
few  hours  sleep  with  the  25,000  rose 
at  a  very  early  hour,  perhaps  a 
little  after  midnight,  and  had  them 
inspected,  which  might  be  speedily 
done  by  the  aid  of  the  officers,  and 
then  went,  at  so  early  an  hour  that 
it  might  still  be  called  night,  into 
the  valley,  perhaps  alone,  to  suppli- 
cate God  for  a  blessing  on  t  he  en- 
terprise in  which  he  was  now  enga- 
ged, and  which  had  come  so  near 
to  its  crisis ;  or,  if  may  imply  that 
at  this  time  he  led  the  army  through 
the  valley^  and  when  the  day  dawned 
appeared  in  full  view  of  the  city, 
from  whence  the  king  and  people 
immediately  sallied  out  in  pursuit. 

14.  When  the  king  of  Ai  savj  it, 
they  hasted  and  rose  up  early.  That 
is,  when  the  king  u-as  informed  of 
it,  by  the  city  guards,  an  alarm  was 
immediately  given,  and  the  citizens 
who  had  not  yet  risen  hurried  from 
their  beds,  and  soon  commenced  the 
pursuit.  '  To  see,'  in  scripture  us- 
age, often  has  the  sense  of  to  know, 
to  learn,  to  understand.  II  He  and 
all  his  people.  That  is,  all  the  men 
of  war  ;  for  the  rest,  the  old  men, 
the  women,  and  children  remained 
in  the  city,  as  appears,  v.  24.  IT 
At  a  time  appointed,  or,  Heb.  '  at  a 
concerted  sign  or  signal.' 


70 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  145L 


iwist  not  that  there  ivere  liers 
in  ambush  against  him  behind 
the  city. 

15  And  Joshua  and  all  Israel 
Mnade  as  if  they  were  beaten  be- 
fore them,  and  fled  by  the  way 
of  the  wilderness. 

16  And  all  the  people  that 
were  in  Ai  were  called  together 
to  pursue  after  them ;  and  they 
pursued  after  Joshua,  and  v/ere 
drawn  away  from  the  city. 

17  And  there  was  not  a  man 
left  in  Ai,  or  Beth-el,  that  went 
not  out  after  Israel :  and  they 
left  the  city  open,  and  pursued 
after  Israel. 

18  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Joshua,  Stretch  out  the  spear 
that  is  in  thy  hand  toward  Ai  ; 

i  Judg.  20.  34.  Eccles.  9. 12.     k  Jud-.  20.  36,  &c. 


15.  Made  as  if  they  vere  beaten. 
Turned  their  backs.  Heb.  '  were 
beaten  or  smitten,'  but  rightly  un- 
derstood as  here  rendered,  of  appar- 
ently suffering  themselves  to  be  beat- 
en, to  make  a  show  or  pretence  of  be- 
ing beaten.  See  a  like  phraseology 
^^^en.42.  7.  2  Sa«L,  13.  5.  IT  Medlnj 
""^^^Wtiiia!/  of'tlic  vilderness.  Lying  be- 
tween'Ai  and  Jericho  or  Gilgal. 

\Q  And  all  the  people  that  v:ere  in 
Ai.  That  is,  all  who  had  not  sallied 
out  before,  all  the  men  able  to  bear 
arms  who  remained  behind  when 
the  first  body  of  pursuers  issued  forth 
from  the  city.  Some  portion  of  the 
population,  however,  was  still  left, 
who  were  afterwards  slain,  v.  24. 

17.  Was  not  a  man  left  i nAi.  Not 
a  man  that  was  able  to  bear  arms, 
not  one  fit  for  military  service.  IT  Or 
Bethel.  This  city,  situated  at  three 
miles  distance  from  Ai,  was  proba- 
bly confederate  with  it  and  aiding  it 
with  forces  on  the  present  occasion. 

18.  Stretch  out  the  spear  that  is  in 
thine  hand.  That  is,  hold  extended 
or  stretched  out,  continue  it  in  that 


for  I  will  give  it  into  thy  hand. 
And  Joshua  stretched  out  the 
spear  that  he  had  in  his  hand  to- 
ward the  city. 

19  And  the  ambush  arose 
quickly  out  of  their  place,  and 
they  ran  as  soon  as  he  liad  stretch- 
ed out  his  hand  :  and  they  en- 
tered into  the  city,  and  took  it, 
and  hasted,  and  set  the  city  on 
fire. 

20  And  when  the  men  of  Ai 
looked  behind  them,  they  saw, 
and  behold,  the  smoke  of  the  city 
ascended  up  to  heaven,  and  they 
had  no  power  to  flee  this  way 
or  that  way  :  and  the  people 
that  fled  to  the  wilderness  turn- 
ed back  upon  the  pursuers. 

21  And  when  Joshua  and  all 


position.  Comp.  v.  26.  This  was 
probably  agreed  upon  as  the  signal 
to  be  given  by  Joshua  to  the  men  in 
ambush,  to  notify  them  of  the  precise 
moment  when  to  issue  forth  from 
their  retreat  and  rush  into  the  city. 
If,  as  some  commentators  suppose, 
a  flag  or  a  burnished  shield  were  fix- 
ed to  the  end  of  a  long  spear,  pike,  or 
lance,  making  it  conspicuous  from 
a  distance,  it  would  still  better  an- 
swer the  purpose  intended.  Con- 
joined with  this  there  might  have 
been,  as  far  as  we  can  see,  another 
object  in  thus  elevating  the  spear  on 
this  occasion;  viz.  that  it  should 
serve  like  the  lifting  up  of  Moses' 
hands  in  the  battle  with  Amalek,  as 
a  token  of  the  divine  presence  and 
assistance,  a  pledge  of  the  secret  efii- 
cacy  of  the  almighty  arm  in  securing 
them  the  victory.  This  seems  high- 
ly probable  from  v.  26.  IT  Set  the 
city  on  fire.     See  on  v.  8. 

20.  Had  no  poioer  to  flee.  Heb. 
'  no  hand,'  i.  e.  no  place,  no  quarter, 
no  direction  to  which  to  flee,  being 
hemmed  in  every  side.    Most  of  the 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


71 


Israel  saw  that  the  ambush  had 
taken  the  cify,  and  that  the 
smoke  of  the  city  ascended,  then 
they  turned  again,  and  slew  the 
men  of  Ai. 

22  And  the  other  issued  out 
of  the  city  against  them  ;  so  they 
were  in  the  midst  of  Israel,  some 
on  this  side,  and  some  on  that 
side  :  and  they  smote  them  so, 
that  they  det  none  of  them  re- 
main or  escape. 

23  And  the  king  of  Ai  they 
took  alive,  and  brought  him  to 
Joshua. 

24  And   it    came    to    pass 


ancient  versions,  however,  render 
with  ours  '  power,  ability,  strength,' 
in  which  sense  it  is  certain  that '  hand' 
is  sometimes  used.  ^  Pursuers. 
Heb.  '  pursuer,'  collect,  sing. 

21.  When  all  Israel  sato.  That  is, 
all  the  Israelites  then  present,  all 
that  were  employed  in  this  service. 
Such  general  expressions  are  often 
to  be  limited  by  the  tenor  of  the  nar- 
rative. 

22.  And  the  other.  Heb.  'and 
these,'  i.  e.  those  who  had  formed  the 
ambush.  IT  So  that  they  let  none 
af  them  remain  or  escape.  Heb.  'so 
that  there  remained  not  to  them  a 
survivor  (i.  e.  one  taken  alive)  or 
one  that  escaped.'  They  were  all  in- 
discriminately put  to  the  sword,  with 
the  single  exception  mentioned  in 
the  next  verse, 

23.  The  king  of  Ai  they  took  alive. 
He  was  reserved  for  a  more  exem- 
plary and  ignominious  death,  as  a 
warning  to  other  kings  who,  like 
him,  might  be  disposed  to  defy  the 
power  of  Israel. 

24.  Smote  it  with  the  edge  of  the 
sword.  Heb.  '  with  the  mouth  of  the 
sword.'  That  is,  the  old  men,  women, 
and  children  who  remained  in  the 
city,  who  h?d  not  joined  in  the  pur- 
suit, V.  16,  17. 

25.  Both  of  men  and  %D  omen,   Heb, 


when  Israel  had  made  an  end  of 
slaying  all  the  inhabitants  of 
Ai  in  the  field,  in  the  wilderness 
wherein  they  chased  them,  and 
when  they  were  all  fallen  on 
the  edge  of  the  sword,  until 
they  were  consumed,  that  all 
the  Israelites  returned  unto  Ai, 
and  smote  it  with  the  edge  of  the 
sword. 

25  And  so  it  was,  that  all 
that  fell  that  day,  both  of  men 
and  women,  were  twelve  thou- 
sand, even  all  the  men  of  Ai. 

26  For  Joshua  drew  not  his 
hand  back  wherewith  he  stretch- 


'from  the  man  to  the  woman.' 
IT  Twelve  thousand,  even  all  the  men 
of  Ai.  It  seems  scarcely  credible 
that  this  number  should  have  inclu- 
ded all  that  were  slain  on  this  occa- 
sion, as  it  would  leave  the  fighting 
men  not  more  than  two  or  three  thou- 
sand, and  yet  this  mere  handful  dar- 
ing to  go  forth  against  a  force  of  be- 
tween twenty  and  thirty  thousand! 
Can  we  believe  them  so  infatuated, 
doomed  though  they  were  to  destruc- 
tion'? We  are  constrained  therefore 
to  understand  the  twelve  thousand  of 
the  effective  men  of  arms,  the  sense 
in  which  the  phrase  '  men  of  Ai'  oc- 
curs in  V.  20,  21,  as  also  the  sing, 
'  man  '  v.  17.  The  assertion  of  the 
verse  we  suppose  to  be,  that  the  num- 
ber of  the  men  of  war  who  perished, 
together  wath  their  whole  families, 
old  men,  women,  and  children,  was 
twelve  thousand.  The  latter  are  not 
expressly  but  implicitly  included  in 
the  enumeration,  and  the  propor- 
tion which  they  bore  to  the  fighting 
men  is  a  mere  matter  of  inference. 
They  were  probably  at  least  thrice 
as  many. 

26.  For  Joshiia  drew  not  his  hand 
back,  &c.  The  ob'ect  of  these  words 
seems  to  be  to  assign  the  re^ison  of 
the  utter  and  unsparing  destruc- 
tion of  the  people  of  Ai.    The  move- 


72 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


ed  out  the  spear,  until  he  had  ut- 
terly  destroyed  all  the  inhabit- 
ants  of  Ai. 

27  '"Only  the  cattle  and  the 
spoil  of  that  city  Israel  took  for 
a  prey  unto  themselves,  accord- 
ing unto  the  word  of  the  Lord 
which  he  "commanded  Joshua. 

28  And     Joshua    burnt   Ai, 

m  Num.  31.  22,  26.        n  v.  2. 


ments  of  Israel  were  directed  by  the 
uplifted  spear- of  Joshua.  As  long 
as  that  continued  stretched  out  they 
were  to  persist  in  the  work  of  slaugh- 
ter. When  it  was  let  down  they 
were  to  cease.  This  shows  that  the 
stretching  out  of  the  spear  was  not 
designed  vierely  as  a  signal  to  the 
men  in  ambush,  for  in  this  case  the 
continuance  of  the  act  would  have 
been  unnecessary.  It  was  doubtless 
intended  to  answer  the  same  end  as 
the  uplifted  hands  of  Moses  on  the 
occasion  before  referred  to,  that  is, 
as  a  visible  sign  of  the  presence  and 
agency  of  Omnipotence  in  behalf  of 
his  people  as  long  as  it  continued  to 
be  extended.  To  the  judgment  of 
sense  there  was  perhaps  little  con- 
nection between  Joshua's  holding 
forth  his  spear  and  the  success  of  the 
combatants  at  a  distance,  and  it 
might  have  appeared  that  he  would 
have  been  better  emploj^ed  at  the 
head  of  the  army,  animating  and  di- 
recting them.  But  he  knew  who 
alone  could  give  the  victory,  and 
that  a  compliance  with  God's  com- 
mands was  the  surest  means  of  ob- 
taining help  from  him.  Hence  with- 
out any  apprehensions  as  to  the  issue, 
he  maintained  his  stand  before  God, 
and  held  forth  his  spear  till  all  his  en- 
emies were  destroyed.  Such  is  the 
confidence  and  perseverance  which 
the  Christian  is  to  evince  in  his  con- 
flicts with  sin  and  Satan,  notwith- 
standing the  apparently  little  connec- 
tion between  his  poor  efforts  and  the 
destruction  of  such  mighty  foes.  It 
is  perhaps  in  allusion  to  this  circum- 
stance that  the  phrase '  stretching  out 


and  made  it  °a  heap  for  ever, 
even  a  desolation  unto  this  day. 
29  pAnd  the  king  of  Ai  he 
hanged  on  a  tree  until  even-tide  : 
•Jand  as  soon  as  the  sun  was 
down,  Joshua  commanded  that 
they  should  take  his  carcass 
down  from  the  tree,  and  cast  it 
at  the  entering  of  the  gate  of  the 

o  Deul.  13.  IG.  p  ch.  10.  26.  Ps.  107.  40.  &  110.  5. 
q  Deut.  21.  23.    ch.  10.27. 

the  hand  against'  is  employed  by  the 
prophets  as  equivalent  to  contending 
vnth,  or  fighting  against.  Thus  Is. 
5.  25.  '  Therefore  is  the  anger  of 
the  Lord  kindled  against  his  people, 
and  he  hath  stretched  forth  his  hand 
agamst  them,  and  hath  smitten  them : 
and  the  hills  did  tremble  and  their 
carcases  are  torn  in  the  midst  of  the 
streets.  For  all  this  his  anger  is  not 
turned  away,  but  his  handis  stretched 
out  still,'  i.  e.  his  judgments  slill  con- 
tinue as  did  the  slaughter  of  the 
Aiites  while  Joshua's  outstretched 
spear  was  not  withdrawn,  IT  Until 
he  had  utterly  destroyed.  Heb.  '  had 
devoted  to  a  curse.' 

28.  Made  it  an  heap  for  ever.  Heb. 
'  put  it  an  heap  of  eternity,'  i.  e.  an 
everlasting  heap,  a  perpetual  pile  of 
ruins.  The  meaning  is,  it  was^made 
such  for  a  long  time,  through  a  long 
tract  of  ages ;  a  frequent  sense  of 
the  phrase  '  for  ever.'  It  seems  to 
have  been  rebuilt  about  a  thousand 
years  afterwards,  by  the  Benjamin- 
ites,  Neh.  11.  31,  under  the  name  of 
Aija  or  Aiya.  IT  Unto  this  day. 
Near  the  close  of  Joshua's  life. 

29.  Theking  of  Ai  he  hanged.  The 
kings  of  the  devoted  nations  were 
dealt  with  with  more  exemplary  se- 
verity than  the  common  people,  be- 
cause they  were  more  deeply  crimi- 
nal, both  in  having  formerly  by  their 
connivance  encouraged  the  abomi- 
nations of  their  subjects,  and  in  now 
instigating  them  to  resistance,  when 
they  might  and  should  have  known 
that  resistance  was  vain.  In  the  pre- 
sent case,  though  the  king  of  Ai  was 
taken  alive  and  brought  to  Joshuaj. 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


73 


city,  and  Taisc  thereon  a  great 
heap  of  stones,  that  remaineth 
unto  this  day. 

30  IT  Then  Joshua  built  an  al- 
tar unto  the  Lord  God  of  Israel 
•in  mount  Ebal, 

r  (  h.  7.  26.  &  10.  27.        s  Deut.  27.  4, 5. 


yet  it  is  not  certain  that  he  was  not 
first  put  to  death  in  some  other  way, 
and  his  body  hung  upon  a  tree  after 
his  execution  as  a  mark  of  the  utmost 
disgrace  and  detestation.  Upon  con- 
sulting the  following  passages,  this 
opinion  will  appear  far  more  plau.s- 
ible  than  the  one  which  maintains 
that  he  was  first  hung,  a  mode  of  ca- 
pital punishment  that  does  not  ap- 
pear to  have  been  customary  in  those 
early  days,  ch.  10.  26.  2  Sam.  4.  12. 
1  Sam.  31.  8— 10.  ^  As  soon  as  t/ie 
sun  was  down.  This  was  according 
to  the  law,  Deut.  21.  22,  23,  '  If  a 
man  have  committed  a  sin  worthy  of 
death,  and  he  be  to  be  put  to  death, 
and  thou  hang  him  on  a  tree ;  his 
body  shall  not  remain  upon  the  tree, 
but  thou  shalt  in  any  wise  bury  him 
that  day.'  IT  Cast  it  at  the  entering 
of  the  gate.  The  gates  of  cities  were 
usually  the  places  of  judgment,  of  the 
transaction  of  the  most  important 
public  business,  and  of  general  re- 
sort and  rendezvous.  We  know  of 
no  other  reason  for  casting  the  dead 
body  of  the  king  of  Ai  in  this  place, 
than  that  it  was  the  most  public  place 
that  could  be  chosen,  one  that  would 
stamp  the  act  with  the  utmost  possible 
notoriety. 

30.  Joshua  built  an  altar — inmount 
Ebal.  This  was  in  obedience  to  the 
command  given  Deut.  27.  42 — 8,  on 
which  see  notes.  Mount  Ebal,  as 
well  as  mount  Gerizim,  was  situated 
near  Shechem  in  what  was  after- 
wards the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  and 
not  far  from  the  ancient  Samaria. 
It  was  at  considerable  distance 
from  the  camp  at  Gilgal|yet  as  it 
was  a  ceremony  that  had  been  ex- 
pressly commanded,  and  the  perfor- 
mance of  which  was  not  to  be  delay- 
ed any  longer  than  was  absolutely 
7* 


31  As  Moses  the  servant  of 
the  Lord  commanded  the  chil- 
flren  of  Israel,  as  it  is  written  in 
the  tbook  of  the  law  of  Moses, 
An  altar  of  whole  stones,  over 
which  no  man  hath  lifted  up  any 

t  Ex.  20.25.    Deut.  27.  5,6. 

necessary  after  they  had  entered  Ca- 
naan, Deut.  27.  2,  they  seem  to  have 
penetrated  in  a  body  through  the 
mountainous  regions  that  interven- 
ed, till  they  came  to  the  appointed 
place,  although  no  details  of  the 
journey  thither  are  given.  Viewed 
in  connection  with  their  then  present 
circumstances  the  incident  was  a 
very  remarkable  one.  While  enga- 
ged in  the  mid  career  of  conquest,  the 
business  of  the  war  is  suddenly  sus- 
pended, and  instead  of  pushing  their 
victories  on  every  side,  after  master- 
ing the  frontier  towns,  they  com- 
mence a  peaceful  march  into  the 
heart  of  the  country  to  attend  upon  a 
religious  solemnity  !  But  God  had 
ordered  it,  and  they  cheerfully  obey- 
ed. Whatsoever  else  stands  still, 
the  service  of  God  must  go  forward. 
Whatever  other  interest  may  suffer, 
our  spiritual  concerns  must  receive 
attention.  But  in  truth  there  is  no 
danger  that  our  worldly  interests  rcill 
suffer  in  consequence  of  a  paramount 
regard  to  the  one  thing  needful.  God 
will  take  them  into  his  own  hand, 
and  see  that  we  are  no  losers  by  any 
thing  done  for  him.  In  the  present 
instance,  we  see  that  his  providential 
care  was  wonderfully  exercised  to- 
wards his  faithful  servants.  Though 
in  the  midst  of  an  enemy's  country,  as 
yet  unconquered,  yet  they  passed  on 
unharmed,  the  terror  of  God  having 
fallen  upon  the  cities  round  about,  as 
when  Jacob  some  ages  before  had 
passed  through  this  very  region  on 
his  way  to  Bethel,  Gen.  '35.  5.  The 
way  of  duty  is  the  way  of  safety^ — . 
The  object  of  erecting  the  altar  was 
to  offer  the  sacrifices  spoken  of  in  the 
next  verse.  It  was  a  federal  trans- 
action in  which  they  were  now  en- 
gaged.   The  covenant  was  now  to  be 


74 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


iron  :  and  "they  offered  thereon 
burnt-offenngs  unto  the  Lord, 
and  sacrificed  peace-offerings. 

32  IT  And  ^he  wrote  there 
upon  the  stones  a  copy  of  the 
law  of  Moses,  which  he  wrote 
in  the  presence  of  the  children 
of  Israel. 

33  And  all  Israel,  and  their 
elders,  and  officers,  and  their 
judges,  stood  on  this  side  the  ark 
and  on  that  side  before  the 
priests  the  Levites,  ^which  bare 
the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the 

u  Ex.  20.  24.    X  Deut.  27.  2,  8.    y  Deui.  31.  9,  25. 


renewed  upon  their  taking  posses- 
sion of  the  land  of  promise,  and  a  for- 
mal profession  made  of  their  subjec- 
tion to  the  law,  and  of  their  depen- 
danee  for  success  in  all  their  enter- 
prises upon  the  blessing  of  the  Most 
High.  AH  this  it  was  proper  should 
be  ratified  by  sacrificial  offerings. 

'61.  Over  which  no  man  hath  lift 
lip  any  iron.  Rather  '  had  lift  up.' 
The  writer  does  not  Intend  to  quote 
the  precise  words  of  the  law,  but 
merely  to  say  that  Joshua  construc- 
ted an  altar  in  accordance  with  the 
precept  of  Moses,  Ex.  20.  25.  Deut. 
27.  5.  viz.,  one  over  which  no  man 
had  lifted  up  an  iron  tool. 

32.  Wrote  there  upon  the  stones. 
Upcncomparing  this  with  the  injunc- 
tion Deut.  27.  2 — 7.  it  appears  quite 
obvious  that  in  addition  to  the  altar 
they  were  required  also  to  erect  a 
number  of  stone  pillars,  and  that  the 
writing  Avas  to  be  done  upon  the  pil- 
lars, instead  of  upon  the  altar,  for 
which  purpose  they  were  previously 
to  be  plastered  over.  IT  A  copij  of  the 
law.  Heb.  'a  repetition,  a  duplicate 
of  the  law.'  That  is,  a  copy  of  the 
blessings  and  curses  commanded  by 
Moses ;  not  a  copy  of  the  decalogue, 
as  some  imagine';  nor  of  the  book 
of  Deuteronomy,  as  others  think  ; 
much  less  of  the  whole  Pentateuch ; 
but  simply  that  part  of  the  law  which 


Lord,  as  well  nhe  stranger,  as 
he  that  was  born  among  them ; 
half  of  them  over  against  mount 
Gerizim,  and  half  of  them  over 
against  mount  Ebal  ;  ^as  Moses 
the  servant  of  the  Lord  had 
commanded  before,  that  they 
should  bless  the  people  of  Israel. 

34  And  afterward  ^he  read 
all  the  words  of  the  law,  nhe 
blessings  and  cursings,  accor- 
ding to  all  that  is  written  in  the 
book  of  the  law. 

35  There  was  not   a  word  of 

z  Deut.  31.  12.  a  Deut.  11.  29.  &  27.  12.  b  Deut. 
31.  U.  Neh.  8.  3.  c  Deu<  US.  2,  IS,  45.  4  29.  20,  21. 
&  30.  19. 


contained  the  blessings  and  curses, 
and  which  was  to  be  read  on  this 
solemn  occasion.  See  note  on  Deut. 
27.  8. 

33.  Before  the  priests,  the  Levites. 
That  is,  in  view  of  the  priests,  the 
Levites;  not  that  the  elders,  officers, 
and  judges  stood  nearer  the  ark  than 
the  priests,  but  that  they  so  surround- 
ed the  ark  that  the  priests  who  were 
carrying  it  had  a  full  view  of  them. 
In  like  manner  it  might  be  said  that 
a  great  crowd  in  a  funeral  were  be- 
fore the  bearers  and  pall-bearers,  if 
they  stood  full  in  their  view.    IT  Over 
uiiainst   mount    Gerizim   and   over 
against  mount  Ebal.      For  an  ac- 
count of  these  mountains   see    on 
Deut.  11. 29.  The  two  divisions  seem 
not  to  have  stood  upon  the  summit 
of  the  mountains,  but  were  ranged 
along  their  base  and  some  way  up 
their  sides,  that  they  might  be  nearer 
the  ark,  which  occupied  the  valley 
I  between,  and  more  conveniently  hear 
j  the  reading  of  the  law.      '^  That  they 
should  bless  the  people.      And  curse 
1  also,  though  the  last  is  not  expressly 
'  mentioned ;   it  is  however  plainly  to 
be  inferred,  both  from  the  original 
j  command  of  Moses,  Deut. 27.  13,  and 
'  from  the  phraseology  of  the  next 
!  verse. 

j      34.  Aoid  afterward  he  read.     That 
I  is,  he  commanded  the  priests,  or  Le- 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  IX. 


75 


all  that  Moses  commanded 
which  Joshua  read  not  before 
all  the  congregation  of  Israel, 
''with  the  women,  and  the  little 
ones,  and  nhe  strangers  that 
were  conversant  anions  them. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  ND  it  came  to  pass,  when  all 

"^  ihf  kings  which  were  on  this 

side  Jc^rdan,  in  the  hills,  and  in 

d  Ueiit.  31.  12.        ev.  33. 

vites  to  read,  as  is  evident  from  Deut. 
27.  14.  In  innumerable  instances  in 
the  Scriptures,  a  person  is  said  to  do 
that,  which  he  orders  or  procures  to 
be  done.  IT  The  words  of  the  law. 
the  blessings  and  cursings.  All  the 
sanctions  of  the  law ;  from  which 
and  from  v.  35,  it  would  seem  that 
much  more  was  read  on  this  occasion 
than  was  written  on  the  stones. 

35.  With  the  women  and  little  ones. 
It  was  a  word  that  concerned  all,  and 
all  of  all  sexes  and  ages  were  pre- 
sent, giving  a  solemn  and  heedful 
attention  to  what  was  read.  Child- 
ren would  be  deeply  impressed  by 
the  solemnities  of  the  scene,  and  a 
salutary  fear  of  offending  God  would 
sink  into  their  tender  hearts.  IT  The 
strangers  that  were  conversant  among 
them."  Heb. '  the  strangers  that  walk- 
ed among  them.'  Proselytes.  No 
other  strangers  can  well  be  supposed 
to  have  been  present  at  this  time. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

1.  On  this  side  Jordan.  The  west 
side;  where  the  children  of  Israel 
now  were,  and  where  the  writer  was 
at  the  time  of  penning  this  narrative. 
IT  Heard  thereof.  That  is,  of  the  re- 
markable events  which  hadtranspir- 
edsince  the  Israelites  hadentered  Ca- 
naan ;  of  the  sacking  of  Jericho  and 
Ai,  and  of  their  being  now  assembled 
together  at  mount  Ebal. 

2.  They  gathered  themselves  to- 
gether to  fight.  Entered  into  a  league, 
agreed  to  form  a  confederacy.  It 
does  not  appear  that  they  actually 


the  valleys,  and  in  all  the  coasts 
of  ''the  great  sea  over  against 
Lebar)on,  ''the  Hittite,  and  the 
Amorite,  the  Canaanite,  the  Per- 
izzite,  the  Ilivite,  and  the  Jebu- 
site  heard  thereof; 

2  That  they  "^gathered  them- 
selves together,  to  fight  with 
Joshua  and  with  Israel,  with  one 
accord. 

3  IT   And  when  the  inhabit- 

a  Num.  34.  6.    b  Ex.  3.  17.  &  23.  'iS.    c  Ps.  83.  3,  5. 


united  their  forces  at  this  time,  but 
they  now  consulted  together  and 
agreed  to  do  it.  Subsequent  events, 
however,  seem  to  have  deranged 
their  plans  and  prevented  a  combin- 
ed attack  till  some  lime  afierw^ards. — 
In  this  conduct  we  see,  as  in  a  gla.ss, 
the  strange  infatuation  of  the  wrick- 
ed !  Though  seeing  and  feeling  that 
the  hand  of  God  is  unquestionably 
against  them,  yet,  instead  of  repent- 
ing and  humbling  themselves  before 
him,  these  devoted  kings,  who  like 
Ahaz,  '  in  their  distress  trespassed 
yet  more  against  the  Lord,'  madly 
seek  by  power  and  policy  to  counter- 
act and  defeat  his  designs !  '  Thou 
hast  stricken  them,  but  they  have  not 
grieved;  thou  hast  consumed  them, 
but  they  have  refused  to  receive  cor- 
rection ;  they  have  made  their  faces 
harder  than  a  rock.'  U  With  one 
accord.  Heb. '  with  one  mouth ;'  ex- 
pressive of  their  entire  unanimity  in 
the  measure.  Though  of  different 
clans,  having  different  interests,  and 
doubtless  heretofore  often  at  variance 
with  one  another,  yet  they  are  ready 
to  make  common  cause  against  the 
people  of  God,  showing  that  the  ha- 
tred of  the  righteous  is  one  of  the 
strongest  boncls  of  union  between 
wicked  men.  '  And  the  same  day 
Pilate  and  Herod  were  made  friends 
together ;  for  before  they  were  at  en- 
mity between  themselves.'  What  an 
adrnonition  to  Christians  to  cease 
from  dissension,  to  give  up  their 
petty  feuds  and  animosities,  to  sacri- 
fice party  interests  to  the  public  wel- 


76 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


ants  of  dGibeon  ^heard  what 
Joshua  had  done  unto  Jericho 
and  to  Ai, 

(ICh.  10.2.    2Sam.  21.  1,2.        e  ch.  6.  27. 


fare,  and  cordially  unite  against  the 
common  enemies  of  God's  kingdom 
among  men. 

3.  The  inhabitants  of  Gibeon.  Gi- 
beon  was  a  city  of  the  Hivites,  pro- 
bably its  capital.  In  the  division  of 
the  land  it  fell  to  the  tribe  of  Benja- 
min, and  was  situated  on  a  hill  about 
six  mifes  north  of  Jerusalem.  At  the 
present  time,  a  small  village  called 
Geeb,  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient 
city.  The  inhabitants  of  this  place 
declined  entering  into  the  alliance 
oflfensive  and  defensive  above  men- 
tioned. This  might  have  been  ow- 
ing to  their  form  of  government, 
which  left  more  scope  for  the  good 
sense  of  the  people.  Had  they  had 
a  king,  of  which  we  nowhere  read, 
he  would  probably  have  been  induc- 
ed, in  the  pride  of  his  heart,  to  join 
the  confederacy;  but  this  city  with 
the  three  others  mentioned  ver.  17, 
seem  to  have  been  governed  by  elders 
orsenators,  v.  11,  who  consulted  the 
common  safety  more  than  their  own 
personal  dignity.  In  this  case  of  the 
Gibeonites,  we  may  see  a  striking 
instance  of  the  different  effects  pro- 
duced by  the  same  tidings  upon  dif- 
ferent minds.  The  news  of  the  vic- 
torious progress  of  Israel  excites  the 
several  kings  to  resistance, but  moves 
the  Gibeonites  to  think  of  making 
peace  with  their  invaders.  In  the 
same  manner  the  Gospel  message  is 
a  savor  of  life  to  some,  and  of  death 
to  others.  Some  it  irritates  and  pro- 
vokes to  deadly  and  self-destructive 
opposition,  others  it  softens,  melts, 
persuades  to  surrender,  and  brings  to 
saving  repentance.  In  such  a  differ- 
ence divine  sovereignty  must  be  ac- 
knowledged, though  the  obslinately 
impenitent  are  left  without  excuse. 

4.  They  did  work  v:ilily.  Heb. 
*  they  also  did  work  wilily,'  i.  e.  cun- 
ningly, shrewdly,  craftily.  The  term 
*also,'  which  is  omitted  in  our  trans- 
lation but  occurs  in  the  original, 


4  They  did  work  wilily,  and 
went  and  made  as  if  they  had 
been  ambassadors,  and  took  old 


carries  in  it  a  reference  to  the  course 
adopted  by  the  Canaaniiish  kings. 
They  adopted  the  measures  which 
seemed  to  them  the  wisest  and  most 
politic,  under  the  circumstances.  In 
like  manner  the  Gibeonites  also  de- 
termined to  exercise  their  ingenuity 
in  the  present  emergency,  but  they 
had  recourse  to  a  sub:le  stratagem, 
entirely  different  from  the  more  open, 
straight  forward,  but  ruinous  course 
pursued  by  their  neighbors.  As  to  the 
moral  character  of  this  device  of  the 
Gibeonites,  we  can  only  say  of  it,  as 
our  Saviour  said  of  the  unjust  stew- 
ard, '  they  acted  wisely  in  their  gene- 
ration;' they  did  what  the  common 
maxims  of  mere  worldly  prudence 
dictated  under  the  circumstances,  and 
yet  their  fraud  and  prevarication  can- 
not be  justified,  nor  have  we  any  rea- 
son to  think  they  fared  so  well  by  em- 
ploying it,  as  they  would  have  done 
without  it.     A  more  simple  and  up- 
right course  would  undoubtedly  have 
secured  to  them  far  greater  advan- 
tages.    Some  correct  notions  of  the 
God  of  Israelthey  had  certainly  form- 
ed, V.  9,  10.  and  these  should  have 
prompted  some  o:her  expedient  than 
that  oflying  and  deceit.  They  should 
have  followed  up  the  little  light  they 
had,  and  inquired  into  the  procuring 
causes  of    God's    severity  against 
them.     They  should  have  acknow- 
ledged that  it  was  their  heinous  sins 
which  were  at  the  bottom  of  all  their 
troubles ;  and  having  humbled  them- 
selves in  deep  repentance,  and  trust- 
ing to    providence    for    the    issue, 
should  have  come  to  the  Israelites, 
and    simply   submitted    themselves 
without    opposition    or   fraud,  and 
there  is  every  reason  to  believe  they 
would  have  been  spared,  as  Rahab 
and  her  relaiions  had  been.     Lying 
and  hypocrisy  always  defeat  them- 
selves in  the  long  run  ;  their  success 
is  only  temporaiy,  while  truth  and 
honesty  will  always  ultimately  re- 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  IX. 


77 


sacks  upon  their  asses,  and 
wine-bottles,  old,  and  rent,  and 
bound  up  ; 

5  And  old  shoes  and  clouted 
upon  their  feet,  and  old  garments 


doimd  to  the  safety,  prosperity,  and 
happiness  of  those  who  adhere  to 
them.  IF  As  if  they  hadbeen  ambassa- 
dors. The  root  of  the  original  word 
*1'i^,  ambassador,  properly  denotes 
a  hinge  ;  because  an  ambassador  is  a 
person  upon  whom  the  business  of 
his  embassy  turns  as  upon  a  hinge. 
So  the  Latin  Cardinalis,  cardinal, 
from  Cardo,  a  hinge,  was  the  title  of 
the  prime  minister  of  the  emperor 
Theodosius ;  but  it  is  now  applied 
only  to  the  Pope's  electors  and  coun- 
sellors, though  the  original  reason 
probably  holds  with  equal  force  here 
too.  They  are  the  hinges  upon  which 
the  vast  and  complicated  interests 
of  the  Papacy  turn.  IF  Took  old 
sacks — and  wine  bottles,  old,  &c.  Pre- 
tending to  have  come  from  a  very 
■distant  country,  and  that  their  sacks 
and  the  skins  that  served  them 
for  carrying  their  wine  and  water 
were  worn  out  by  the  length  of  the 
journey.  Sir  John  Chardin  informs 
US,  that  the  Arabs,  and  all  those  who 
lead  a  wandering  life,  keep  their  wa- 
ter, milk,  and  other  liquors  in  leath- 
ern bottles.  They  keep  more  fresh 
in  them,  than  in  any  other  Avay. 
These  leathern  bottles  are  made  of 
goat  skins.  When  the  animal  is  kill- 
ed they  cut  of  its  feet  and  its  head,  and 
then  draw  it  out  of  the  skin,  which 
is  thus  left  nearly  whole.  They 
afterwards  sew  up  the  places  where 
the  legs  and  the  tail  were  cut  ofT, 
and  when  it  is  filled  they  tie  it  about 
the  neck.  These  nations  and  the 
country  people  of  Persia  never  go 
a  journey  without  a  small  leathern 
bottle  of  water  hanging  by  their  side 
like  a  scrip.  These  bottles  are  fre- 
quently rent,  when  old  and  much 
used;  but  they  are  capable  of  being 
repaired.  This  they  do  sometimes 
by  putting  in  a  piece,  sometimes  by 
gathering  up  the  wounded  place  in 


upon  them  ;  and  all  the  bread 
of  their  provision  was  dry  and 
mouldy. 

6  And  they  went  to  Joshua 
funto  the  camp  at  Giigal,  and 

f  '  h.  5.  10. 

the  manner  of  a  purse ;  sometimes 
they  put  in  a  round  flat  piece  of 
wood,  and  by  these  means  stop  the 
hole.  Similar  bottles  are  still  used 
in  Spain,  and  are  called  borrachas. 
See  Burdefs  Orient.  Cust.  vol.  1. 
p.  54. 

5.  Old  shoes  and  clouted.  This 
latter  epithet,  in  the  time  of  Shak- 
speare,  when  applied  to  shoes,  meant 
such  as  had  nails  driven  into  the 
soles  to  strengthen  them.  (Cymb. 
Act.  IV.  Sc.  2.)  In  this  sense  it  may 
be  derived  from  the  French  word 
clou,  a  nail.  But  this  does  not  seem 
to  correspond  well  with  the  original, 
which  is  a  derivative  from  a  root 
signifymg  to  spot,  to  patch,  to  spot 
icith  patches.  For  this  reason  it  is 
supposed  by  Adam  Clarke,  with 
much  plau.sibility,  to  come  from  the 
old  Saxon  chU,  a  clout,  rag,  or  small 
piece  of  cloth,  used  for  piecing  or 
patching.  This  makes  our  present 
version  to  express  very  precisely  the 
spirit  of  the  original.  As  their  shoes 
or  sandals  were  made  of  skins  in 
those  early  ages,  it  means  that  those 
they  now  wore  were  in  a  miserable 
tattered  condition,  having  been  often 
patched,  pieced  or  mended. 

6.  And  to  the  men  of  Israel.  Heb. 
'  b^'iTZ;'^  'C^^  ^he  man  or  manhood  of 
Israel;''  collect,  sing,  for  plur.  Not 
to  the  whole  body  of  the  people,  but 
to  the  heads,  elders,  or  princes  of  the 
congregation,  v.  15 — 21,  who  in  all 
important  matters  acted  in  the  name 
of  the  rest.  In  this  sense,  as  a  term 
of  eminence  or  dignity,  the  original 
^'nj^  ish,  man,  is  often  used.  IT  Make 
ye  a  leagnce  with  lis.  Heb.  *  cut  a 
covenant  with  us;'  on  which  see 
notes  on  Gen.  15. 10.  The  assertion 
that  they  came  from  a  far  country^ 
is  made  as  a  reason  for  the  Israelites 
complying  with  their  request.  From 
V.  24  it  appears  that  they  were  well 


78 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


said  unto  him,  and  to  the  men  of 
Israel,  We  be  come  from  a  llir 
country:  now  therefore  make 
ye  a  league  with  us. 

7  And  the  men  of  Israel  said 
unto  the  sHivites,  Perad venture 
ye  dwell  among  us;  and  ^how 
shall  we  make  a  league  with 
you  ? 

8  And  they  said  unto  Joshua, 
iWe  ore  thy  servants.  And  Josh- 
ua  said  unto  them,  Who  are  ye? 
and  from  whence  come  ye  ? 

.9   And   they  said   unto  him, 

g  Ch   U.  19.        h  Ex.  23.  32.     Dent.  7.  2.  &  20.  16 
Judg.  2.  -2.  i  DeiK.  20.  II.  2  Kinss  10.  5. 


acquainted  with  the  divine  mandate 
in  regard  to  the  destruction  of  the 
devoted  nations,  and  they  may  have 
heard  of  the  exception  mentioned 
Deut.  20.  15  in  favor  of  the  cities 
which  were  '  very  far  off,  and  which 
were  not  of  the  cities  of  these  na- 
tions.' Of  this  exception  they  in- 
tended to  take  advantage. 

7.  And  the  men  of  Israel.  Heb. 
*and  the  man  of  Israel;'  i.  e.  the  el- 
ders or  princes,  as  above.  IT  Said 
unto  the  Hivites.  Heb.  'theHivite.' 
This  is  the  first  intimation  of  the 
particular  nation  to  which  the  Gibe- 
onites belonged.  In  Josh.  11. 19  it  is 
stated  still  more  expressly.  IT  Per- 
adventure  ye  dioell  among  us.'  Heb. 
*  dwell  in  my  midst.'  They  speak, 
in  the  confidence  of  faith,  as  if  they 
were  already  actual  possessors  and 
occupants,  old  settled  inhabitants,  of 
the  region  which  God  had  covenan- 
ted to  give  them.  IT  And  hoio  shall 
we  make  a  league  loilh  you  7  Seeing 
God  has  expressly  forbidden  our 
forming  any  such  alliance,  Ex.  23. 
31-31.-34.12.  Deut.  7.2.  They 
speak  as  acting  entirely  according 
to  orders,  and  as  having  no  discre- 
tion in  the  case ;  and  by  putting 
their  answer  into  the  form  of  a  ques- 
tion do  virtually  appeal  to  the  con- 
sciences, the  innate  sense  of  right, 
of  these  heathen  people,  for  the  pro- 
priety of  their  conduct  in  refusing. 


''From  a  very  far  country  thy 
servants  are  come,  because  of 
the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  : 
for  we  have  'heard  the  fame  of 
him,  and  all  that  he  did  in 
Egypt, 

10  And  '"all  that  he  did  to 
the  two  kings  of  the  Araoriles, 
that  were  beyond  Jordan,  to  Si- 
hon  king  of  Heshbon.and  to  Og 
king  of  Bashan,  which  was  at 
Ashtaroth. 

11  Wherefore  our  elders, 
and    all    the  inhabitants  of  our 

1  Ex.  15.  14.        Josh.  2.  10. 


k  Deut.  20.  15. 
ni  iNiim.  VI.  24,  33. 


A  contrary  course  even  the  Gibeon- 
ites  themselves  knew  was  not  even 
to  be  thought  of  Some  duties  are 
so  obvious  that  we  may  unhesita- 
tingly take  it  for  granted  that  the 
consciences  of  the  worst  of  men  do 
really  side  with  us  in  regard  to  them. 

8.  We  are  thy  servants.  We  are 
willing  to  make  any  concessions ;  do 
but  grant  our  request,  and  we  will 
submit  to  any  terms  you  may  see  fit  to 
propose.  Fix  your  own  conditions, 
even  should  they  require  us  to  be- 
come your  tributaries  and  bond-men 
for  life.  IT  Jl^oareye?  and  from 
whence  come  ye  ?  Prob:.bly  this  very 
intimation  of  such  unconditional 
submission  tended  to  excite  the  sus- 
picions of  Joshua  especially  as  they 
were  so  backward  to  name  the  coun- 
try from  whence  they  came. 

9.  Because  of  the  name  of  the  Lord 
thy  God.  Because  of  what  we  have 
heard  of  that  name;  because  of  the 
reverence  with  which  it  has  inspired 
us;  and  because  we  are  convinced 
that  it  is  above  every  name.  They 
pretend  to  have  been  moved  mainly 
by  religious  motives  in  taking  this 
journey,  which  was  in  part  doubtless 
true,  but  it  was  truth  mixed  with 
both  falsehood  and  hypocrisy.  This 
pretence  however  was  one  well  cal- 
culated to  prevail  with  the  Israelites, 
for  those  who  are  guileless  them- 
selves are  least  suspicious  of  guile 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  IX. 


79 


country  spake  to  us,  saying, 
Take  victuals  with  you  for  the 
journey,  and  go  to  meet  them, 
and  say  unto  them,  We  are  your 
servants  :  therefore  now  make 
ye  a  leafjue  with  us  : 

12  This  our  bread  we  took 
hot ybr  our  provision  out  of  our 
houses  on  the  day  wo  came  forth 


in  others,  and  nothing  wins  more 
upon  the  simple-heartedness  of  good 
men  than  the  appearance  of  piety 
and  devotion  where  it  was  little  or 
not  at  all  expected.  IT  All  that  he 
did  in  Egypt.  They  artfully  con- 
fine themselves  to  the  mention  of 
events  that  happened  a  long  time  ago, 
avoiding  any  allusion  to  those  of 
more  recent  occurrence,  such  as  the 
dividing  of  Jordan  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jericho  and  Ai,  as  if  willing 
to  have  it  believed  tbat  they  lived  so 
far  otf  that  the  tidings  of  them  had 
not  yet  reached  their  ears. 

1 1 .  Wherefore  our  elders, — spake  to 
us.  Another  evidence  that  they  did 
not  live  under  a  kingly  but  a  popular 
form  of  government.  IT  Go  to  meet 
them.  Had  they  deferred  till  the  Is- 
raelites came  to  the  gates  of  their 
cities,  it  would  have  been  too  late ; 
their  yielding  themselves  up  would 
have  been  of  no  avail.  So  the  way 
to  avoid  a  judgment  is  to  meet  it  by 
repentance.  Sinners  should  imitate 
the  example  of  these  Gibeonites,  and 
while  God,  who  is  coming  to  make 
war  against  them,  '  is  yet  a  great  way 
off,  should  send  an  ambassage  and 
desire  conditions  of  peace.'  We  have 
as  clear  evidence  of  God's  determi- 
nation to  destroy  all  the  ungodly,  as 
the  Gibeonites  had  of  his  purpose  to 
root  out  the  Canaanites.  Let  us  learn 
then  of  these  heathens ;  learn  to  come 
to  Jesus  ere  it  be  too  late.  Let  us  not 
stay  till  besieged  by  sickness  and 
death.  Nor  let  us  come  covering  our 
design  with  falsehoods,  but  confes- 
sing the  whole  truth.  In  the  old  and 
tattered  garments  of  our  native  vile- 
ness  we  may  come.  Christ  the  true 
Joshua,  will  receive  us  and  make 


to  go  unto   you ;  but  now,  be- 
hold, it  is  dry,  and  it  is  mouldy  : 

13  And  these  bottles  of  wine 
which  we  filled,  2oere  new,  and 
behold  they  be  rent :  and  these 
our  garments  and  our  shoes  are 
become  old  by  reason  of  the 
very  long  journey. 

14  And  the  men  took  of  their 


with  us  a  league  of  life  and  peace; 
but  let  us  come  saying  at  first  as  they 
did  after  their  imposture  was  discov- 
ered ;  '  Behold,  we  are  in  thine  hand : 
as  it  seemeth  good  and  right  unto 
thee  to  do  unto  us,  do.' 

14.  And  the  men  took  of  their  vict- 
uals. By  the '  men '  are  meant  those 
who  are  elsewhere  termed  the  prin- 
ces of  the  congregation,  v.  18.  19. 
They  took  the  victuals  into  their 
hands  to  satisfy  themselves  of  the 
truth  of  their  statement.  Some  sup- 
pose the  meaning  to  be  that  thay  ate 
together  with  the  Gibeonites  in  token 
of  friendship,  as  is  still  common  in 
the  East,  but  this  is  less  likely,  espe- 
cially as  the  words  maybe  rendered, 
'they  received  the  men  by  reason  of 
their  victuals.'  ^  And  asked  not 
counsel  at  the  month  of  the  Lord. 
That  is,  instead  of  asking  as  they 
ought  to  have  done  at  the  lips  of  the 
high  priest,  whose  duty  it  was  to  en- 
quire through  the  medium  of  the 
Urim  and  Thummim,  Ex.  28.  30. 
Num.  27.  21.  1  Sam.  30.  7,  8.  It  is 
by  no  means  certain,  if  they  had 
sought  the  divine  direction,  that  they 
would  have  been  commanded  to  re- 
ject the  suit  of  the  Gibeonites  and 
show  them  no  mercy.  The  proba- 
bility is,  that  upon  any  of  the  devoted 
nations,  voluntarily  coming  forward, 
professing  repentance,  renouncing 
idolatry,  and  embracing  the  true  re- 
ligion, the  Israelites  would  have  been 
authorized  by  God  to  spare  their  lives. 
See  on  ch.  11.  19.  But  the  circum- 
stance is  mentioned  here  as  a  severe 
reflection  upon  the  princes  of  Israel 
for  neglect  of  duty,  for  rashness,  cre- 
dulity, and  impolicy.  They  rushed 
precipitately  into  an  alliance  which 


80 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


victuals,  "and  asked  not  counsel 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Lord. 

15  And  Joshua  °made  peace 
with  them,  and  made  a  league 
with  them,  to  let  them  live  ;  and 
the  princes  of  the  congregation 
sware  unto  them. 

n  Num.  27  21.  Is.  30.  1,  2.  ?ep  Judg.  1.  I.  1  Sam. 
22.  10.  &  2J.  10,  1!.  &  3U.  8.  2  Sam.  2.  1.  &  5.  19 
o  ch   11.  19.    2  Sam.  21.  2. 


ihey  had  no  right  to  form  without  the 
express  sanction  of  Jehovah,  and 
their  '  lips  becaine  a  snare  to  their 
souls.'  In  like  manner  how  often  do 
men  now  involve  themselves  in  dan- 
gers and  difficulties,  and  hedge  up 
their  own  way  with  troubles,  because 
they  ask  not  counsel  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Lord.  They  listen  with  a  yield- 
ing ear  to  plausible  representations, 
hurry  forward  in  their  chosen 
schemes,  and  enter  heedlessly  into 
doubtful  connections  without  weigh- 
ing the  consequences.  But  sooner 
or  later  we  shall  find  that  no  business 
or  interest  truly  prospers  in  which 
we  engage  without  the  counsel  and 
approbation  of  heaven,  and  with 
shame  and  sorrow  shall  seek  to  him 
to  retrieve  the  evils  which  our  rash- 
ness has  procured.  Let  it  then  be 
engraven  upon  the  tablets  of  our 
hearts,  that  no  proposed  course  of  con- 
duct can  be  so  clear  to  a  Christian  as 
to  excuse  him  from  the  duty  of  seeking 
direction  from  above. 

15.  Joshua  made  peace  with  thevi^ 
&.C.  Agreed  to  receive  them  into 
a  friendly  connection  with  the  Isra- 
elites, and  to  respect  their  lives  and 
property.  It  has  been  doubted  by 
some  whether  the  Israelites  were 
bound  by  an  oath  that  had  been  ob- 
tained from  them  by  means  of  a  gross 
imposition.  But  it  is  plain  that  the?/ 
thought  themselves  solemnly  bound 
by  it,  and  were  apprehensive  that 
the  wrath  of  God  would  fall  upon 
them  ifthey  broke  it.  That  they  were 
right  in  this,  and  that  their  adherence 
to  their  oath  was  acceptable  to  God, 
is  to  be  inferred.  (1.)  From  his  ex- 
pressing no  displeasure  at  the  time, 
and  from  the  subsequent  tenor  of  his  | 


16  IT  And  it  came  to  pass  at 
the  end  of  three  days  after  they 
had  made  a  league  with  them, 
that  they  heard  that  they  were 
their  neighbors,  and  that  they 
dwelt  among  them. 

17  And  the  children  of  Israel 


dealings  towards  them,  which  was 
kind,  and  favorable,  not  implying  re- 
bake  nor  savoring  of  disapprobation. 
(2.)  From  the  fact  that  he  long  after- 
wards severely  avenged  the  wrong 
done  by  Saul  to  the  Gibeonites  in 
violation  of  this  treaty.  Let  us  learn 
from  this  the  binding  nature  of  an 
oath.  It  lays  a  bond  upon  the  soul 
from  which  we  cannot  be  released. 
Even  when  an  oath  has  been  taken 
which  it  is  unlawful  to  keep,  still  we 
are  not  to  consider  that  it  is  a  light 
matter  to  dispense  with  it  or  that  we 
stand  in  the  sight  of  God  just  where 
we  did  before  it  was  taken.  We 
have  in  fact  laid  upon  ourselves  a 
load  of  obligation  which  he  only  can 
take  off.  It  is  he  only  who  in  view 
of  our  unfeigned  repentance  for  hav- 
ing taken  it  can  relieve  the  con- 
science of  the  awful  burden  which 
rests  upon  it.  How  much  more  then 
ought  we  to  feel  the  force  of  those 
compacts  and  promises  which  are 
wholly  lawful  and  right!  How 
religiously  and  scrupulously  should 
every  promise  be  performed  ! 

16.  That  they  dwelt  among  them. 
Heb.  '  dwelt  in  his  midst,'  collect, 
sing,  the  very  thing  which  Joshua 
feared,  and  of  which  he  hinted  his 
suspicion,  v.  7.  '  They  that  suffer 
themselves  to  be  deceived  by  the 
wiles  of  Satan,  will  soon  be  unde- 
ceived to  their  confu.sion,  and  will 
find  that  to  be  near,  even  at  the  door, 
which  they  imagined  was  very  far 
off.'     Henry. 

17.  And  the  children  of  Israel  jour- 
nicd  and  came  unto  their  cities,  &c. 
This  might  better  be  rendered,  '  For 
when  the  children  of  Israel  journey- 
ed, they  came  unto  their  cities.'    Ac- 


A.  C.  1451.] 

journeyed,  and  came  unto  their 
cities  on  the  third  day.  Now 
their  cities  were  pGibeon,  and 
Chephirah,  and  Beeroth,  and 
Kirjath-jearim. 

18  And  the  children  of  Israel 
smote  them  not,  '^because  the 
princes  of  the  congregation  had 
sworn  unto  them  by  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel.  And  all  the  con- 
gregation murmured  against  the 
princes. 

q  Eccles.  5.  2. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


81 


cording  to  the  present  translation 
they  learnt  the  fraud  practised  upon 
them  some  days  before  they  arrived 
at  their  cities.  The  contrary  suppo- 
sition seems  the  most  probable,  and 
we  presume  the  17th  verse  is  in- 
tended to  inform  us  how  they  became 
possessed  of  the  information  men- 
tioned in  the  16th. 

18.  The  congregation  murmured. 
Principally,  no  doubt,  because  they 
were  deprived  of  the  spoils  of  the 
Gibeonites.  Though  they  did  sub- 
mit to  the  restraints  laid  upon  them 
by  this  league,  yet  it  was  with  an  ill 
grace ;  they  were  vexed  to  have  their 
hands  thus  tied  by  their  rulers,  and 
vented  their  disatfection  in  the  most 
unequivocal  manner.  Some  of  them, 
however,  might  have  honestly  re- 
sented what  they  deemed  a  flagrant 
breach  of  the  divine  commandment. 
There  is  often,  nay  generally,  more 
conscience  and  principle  among  the 
common  mass  of  the  people,  than 
among  those  placed  in  authority  over 
them,  although  this  remark  is  not  to 
be  construed  to  the  disparagement 
of  Joshua. 

19.  We  have  sworn  unto  them. 
They  plead  neither  the  lawfulness 
nor  the  prudence  of  the  oath,  but 
only  its  obligation  when  taken.  Al- 
though they  had  been  deceived  in  the 
business,  and  the  covenant  had  been 
made  on  a  supposition  which  was 
afterwards  proved  to  be  false,  yet 
having  sworn  by  Jehovah,  they  did 


19  But  all  the  princes  said 
unto  all  the  congregation,  We 
have  sworn  unto  them  by  the 
Lord  God  of  Israel :  now  there- 
fore we  may  not  touch  them. 

20  This  we  will  do  to  them  ; 
we  will  even  let  them  live,  lest 
•" wrath  be  upon  us,  because  of 
the  oath  which  we  sware  unto 
them. 

21  And  the  princes  said  unto 
them,    Let   them   live;  but   let 


r  See  2  Sam.  21.   1,  2,6. 
Zcch.  5.  3,4.    Mai.  3.  5. 


Ezek.  17.  13,  15, 


not  feel  at  liberty  to  break  their 
compact.  It  has  been  suggested  that 
Joshua  might  have  taken  advantage 
of  their  own  words  to  annul  the 
treaty,  and  said  to  them;  '  Ye  are 
come,  according  to  your  own  state- 
ment, from  a  far  country ;  but  these 
cities  are  near  at  hand ;  their  inhab- 
itants therefore  are  not  the  people 
with  whom  we  have  covenanted,  and 
ye  have  nothing  to  do  to  interfere 
with  or  prevent  their  destruction.' 
But  he  would  not  resort  to  any  shifts 
or  quibbles  to  elude  the  oath.  Like 
the  good  man  of  the  Psalmist,  though 
he  had  sworn  to  his  own  hurt,  he 
would  not  change.  Having  made  a 
solemn  compact  he  would  abide  by  it 
at  all  events.  If  he  had  now  broken 
his  covenant  the  whole  people  of  Ca- 
naan would  have  represented  him  as 
a  violator  of  his  engagements ;  it  was 
theiefore  better  to  fulfil  his  agree- 
ment, however  hasty  and  ill  advi- 
sed, than  by  departing  from  it  to  give 
occasion  to  the  enemies  of  God  to 
blaspheme.  His  answer  lakes  it  for 
granted  that  the  sentiments  of  the 
people  accorded  with  his  own  as  to 
the  solemn  obligations  now  resting 
upon  them.  IT  May  not  touch  them. 
May  not  hurt  or  injure  them.  For 
this  sense  of  the  word  see  Gen.  26. 
11.  Ruth  2.  9.  Job  1.  11.  Ps.  105. 
15.  Zech.  2.  8. 

21 .  And  the  princes  said  unto  tJiem. 
Rather  '  said  concerning  them,'  as 
the  original  for  '  unto'  often  signi- 


82 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451* 


them  be  "hewers  of  wood,  and 
drawers  of  water  unto  all  the 
congregation  ;  as  the  princes 
had  t  promised  them. 

22  ^  And  Joshua  called  for 
them,  and  he  spake  unto  them 
saying.  Wherefore  have  ye  be- 
gulled  us,  saying,  "We  are  very 

s  Deut.  29.  II.  t  V.  15.  u  v.  6,  9. 


fies.  See  on  Gen.  20.  2.  IT  Let 
them  be  hev:ers  of  wood  and  drawers 
of  water  unto  all  the  congregation. 
Let  them  be  taken  at  their  own  word, 
V.  8,  and  made  public  servants,  to  be 
employed  in  the  most  menial  offices 
and  drudgeries  which  the  service  of 
the  sanctuary  might  require.  The 
expression  is  proverbial  for  the  low- 
est and  most  servile  employments  of 
■whatever  kind,  Deut.  29. 11.  IT  Un- 
to all  the  congregation.  To  all  the 
congregation  considered  as  one 
great  worshipping  body,  whose  reli- 
gious rites  were  concentrated  at  one 
place,  and  not  to  all  the  several  fam- 
ilies in  their  private  capacity,  as  re- 
siding in  their  tents.  They' were  to 
be  made  public  and  not  private  ser- 
rants.  IT  According  as  the  princes 
had  promised  them.  Rather,  Heb. 
'  had  purposed,  ordained,  fixed  upon 
concerning  them ;'  that  is  in  a  previ- 
ous consultation.  The  whole  verse, 
however,  as  it  stands  in  the  original 
is  exceedingly  intricate,  and  com- 
mentators are  very  much  divided  as 
to  its  true  construction.  It  would 
seem  from  the  next  verse  that  noth- 
ing had  as  yet  been  said  directly  to 
the  Gibeonites. 

22.  Wherefore  have  ye  beguiled  us  7 
The  mode  of  their  treatment  having 
been  previously  resolved  upon  in  a 
council  of  the  elders  or  princes  of 
the  nation,  Joshua  now  summons 
them  into  his  presence  and  acquaints 
them  with  the  result.  '  He  does  not 
load  them  with  ill  names,  does  not 
give  them  any  harsh  provoking  lan- 
guage, does  not  call  them,  as  they  de- 
served to  be  called,  base  liars,  but 
only  asks  them,  '  Why  have  ye  be- 
guiled us  V  Under  the  greatest  pro- 


far  from  you  ;  when  ^ye  dwell 
among  us  1 

23  Now  therefore  ye  are 
^cursed,  and  there  shall  none  of 
you  be  freed  from  being  bond- 
men, and  'hewers  of  wood  and 
drawers  of  water  for  the  house 
of  my  God. 

T  V.  )6.         yGen.  9.  25.  It.  21.  27. 


vocations  it  is  our  wisdom  and  duty 
to  keep  our  temper  and  to  bridle  our 
passion  ;  a  just  cause  needs  not  an- 
ger to  defend  it,  and  a  bad  one  is 
made  never  the  better  by  it.'  Henry. 
23.  Noio  therefore  ye  are  cursed. 
Ye  shall  be  subjected  to  a  severe  ca- 
lamity. Ye  shall  pay  a  bitter  pen- 
alty for  your  deception.  Ye  shall 
subject  yourselves  and  your  children 
to  the  curse  of  a  degrading  bondage, 
and  thereby  shall  the  ancient  denun- 
ciation against  your  ancestor  be  ful- 
filled;— 'Cursed  be  Canaan,  a  ser- 
vant of  servants  shall  he  be.'  Had 
they  dealt  fairly  and  ingenuously 
with  Israel  their  lives  would  no 
doubt  have  been  spared  on  more  fa- 
vorable and  honorable  terms.  As  it 
was,  however,  it  cannot  be  doubted 
that  their  punishment  was  overruled 
and  turned  to  a  signal  blessing  to 
them.  They  were  hereby  brought 
into  a  situation  where  they  would  na- 
turally acquire  the  know^ledge  of  the 
true  God  and  of  his  revealed  will, 
were  made  to  dwell  in  the  courts  of 
the  Lord's  house,  w^ere  honored  with 
near  access  to  him  in  the  services  of 
the  sanctuary,  and  thus  placed  in  cir- 
cumstances "eminently  favorable  to 
their  spiritual  and  eternal  interests. 
If  David  could  say.  '  I  had  rather  be 
a  door-keeper  in  the  house  of  my 
God,  than  to  dwell  in  the  tents  of 
wickedness,'  surely  these  poor  be- 
nighted heathen  may  well  have  es- 
teemed their  lot  a  blessing,  hard  and 
toilsome  and  humble  as  it  was.  They 
are  supposed  to  have  been  afterw^ardfs 
called  Ncthinim.,  i.  e.  "persons  given ^ 
dedicated,  consecrated  to  the  service 
of  the  sanctuary  and  the  assistance 
of  the  Levitesv    See  v.  27.  1  Chron. 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  IX. 


24  Atid  they  answered  Jrsh- 
ua,  and  said,  Because  it  was  cer- 
tainly  told  thy  servants,  how 
that  the  Lord  thy  God  ^com- 
manded liis  servant  Moses  to 
give  you  all  the  land,  and  to  de- 
stroy all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
land  from  before  you,  therefore 
^vve  were  sore  afraid  of  our  lives 
because  of  you,  and  have  done 
this  thing. 

a  Ex.  23.  32.      Deut.  7.  1,  2.       b  Ex.  15.  14. 


*9.  2.  IT  There  shall  none  of  you  be 
freed  from  being  bondmen.  Heb. 
'  there  shall  not  be  cut  off  from  you  a 
servant;'  i.  e.  the  line  of  servitude 
shall  be  kept  up ;  a  sentence  by  which 
the  bondage  imposed  upon  them 
should  be  entailed  upon  their  poster- 
ity. Mr.  Harmer  undertakes  to 
shew  from  Shaw  and  other  travel- 
lers, that  these  were  the  employ- 
ments of  females  in  the  East,  and  that 
consequently  the  bitterness  of  their 
doom  consisted  not  so  much  in  being 
subjected  to  a  laborious  service,  as  in 
being  degraded  from  the  character- 
istic employments  of  men  to  those  of 
women.  There  may  be  some  force 
in  this  remark  as  applied  to  domes- 
tic civil  life,  but  here  the  case  is 
different;  it  is  certain  that  these  me- 
nial services,  if  they  had  not  been 
perfoi'med  by  the  Gibeonites,  would 
have  devolved  upon  the  Israelites, 
iind  that  too  upon  the  men,  and  not  th« 
■women  of  the  congregation,  for  only 
males  were  employed  about  the  sanc- 
tuary. '^  For  the  house  of  my  God. 
Spoken  primarily  of  the  tabernacle 
which  was  at  that  time  the  seat  of 
worship,  but  with  an  ulterior  refer- 
ence to  the  temple  which  should  be 
afterwards  erected. 

24.  And  they  ansuiered,  &c.  The 
words  in  which  they  make  reply  are 
well  weighed.  It  is  a  delicate  and 
very  cogent  appeal  to  the  human- 
ity and  piety  of  Israel.  They  offer 
the  best  excuse  for  themselves  which 
their  conduct  would  admit.  They 
attempt  not  to  justify  their  prevarica- 


25  And  now,  behold,  we  are 
<=in  thy  hand  :  as  it  seemeth  good 
and  right  unto  thee  to  do  unto 
us,  do. 

20  And  so  did  he  unto  them, 
and  dehvered  them  out  of  the 
hand  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
that  they  slew  them  not. 

27  And  Joshua  made  them 
that  day  ^hewers  of  wood  and 
drawers  of  water  for  the  con- 


tion,  but  in  effect  beg  pardon  for  it ; 
pleading  that  it  was  purely  to  save 
their  lives  that  they  had  recourse  to 
it.  No  one  who  feels  the  force  of 
the  law  of  self-preservation  but  must 
make  great  allowances  for  them,  es- 
pecially as  they  were  not  prompted 
by  the  fear  of  man,  but  of  God  him- 
self, whom  nothing  can  resist. 

25.  We  are  in  thine  hand.  In  thy 
power,  at  thy  disposal,  having  noth- 
ing more  to  say  for  ourselves.  IT  Asit 
seemeth  good  and  right  unto  thee — do. 
Whatever  justice  and  mercy  dictate 
to  thee  to  do  unto  us,  that  perform. 
They  ex'^Qci  justice  because  they  de- 
ceived the  Israelites;  yet  they  hope 
for  mercy  because  they  were  driven 
to  this  expedient  for  fear  of  losing 
their  lives.  This  willing  submis- 
sion of  the  Gibeonites  may  be  impro- 
ved by  us.  They  accounted  it  no 
great  matter  to  cede  their  cities,  and 
to  spend  their  days  in  servitude,  see- 
ing God  had  spared  their  lives.  And 
shall  we  think  much  of  sacrificing 
any  temporal  interests,  or  of  perform- 
ing any  self-denying  duties,  when  we 
have  reason  to  think  that  God  has 
spared  the  life  of  our  souls  *?  If  we 
look  for  mercy  at  the  hands  of  Jesus, 
all  that  we  have  and  are  must  be  the 
Lord's.  We  must  be  willing  to  be 
any  thing  and  do  any  thing  that  he 
appoints  for  us. 

26.  And  so  did  he  unto  them.  That 
is,  he  dealt  with  them  according  to 
justice  and  mercy ;  he  delivered  them 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  people,  who 
would  fain  have  slain  them,  and  yet 


84 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


gregation  and  for  the  altar  of 
the  Lord,  even  unto  this  day 
«m  the  place  which  he  should 
choose. 


he  doomed  them  to  servitude  as  a 
just  retribution  for  their  otfence. 

27.  A?id  Joshua  made  them  &c., 
Heb.  o^ri'^  yittenam,  gave  them. 
whence  the  epithet  q^^Ti^  nethviim 
given,  Lat.  deditiior  deodatija^^Vi^ed 
to  them  Ezra  2.  43,  58.-8.  20.  Neh. 
3. 26.  See  on  v.  21.  ^  In  the  place 
which  he  should  choose.  That  is,  the 
place  which  he  should  choose  for  his 
sanctuary,  whether  it  were  the  taber- 
nacle or  temple ;  for  here  were  their 
services  more  especially,  though  not 
exclusively,  to  be  bestowed.  They 
were  not  to  keep  possession  of  their 
cities,  for  we  afterwards  find  that 
three  of  them  fell  to  the  lot  of  Benja- 
min, and  one  to  that  of  Judah  ;  nor 
were  they  to  be  at  their  own  disposal, 
but  were  most  of  them  probably  dis- 
persed through  the  cities  of  the 
priests  and  Levites,  and  came  up 
with  them  in  their  courses  to  serve  at 
the  altar,  out  of  the  revenues  of  which 
they  were  doubtless  maintained. 

CHAPTER  X. 
1.  Adoni-zedek.  This  name,  sig- 
nifying lord  of  righteousness,  is  very 
nearly  akin  to  that  of  Melchizedek 
ki7ig  of  righteousness,  who  reigned 
at  the  same  place  upwards  of  400 
years  before.  He  might  have  been 
a  descendant  as  well  as  successor  of 
this  distinguished  personage,  or  the 
name,  in  one  form  or  the  other,  may 
have  been  common,  like  Pharaoh  in 
Egypt,  or  Abiraelech  in  Gerar,  to  the 
royal  line.  How  the  epithet  righte- 
ous came  to  be  connected  with  the 
title  of  the  kings  of  this  remarkable 
city  it  is  not  possible  now  to  deter- 
mine. Viewed  in  connection  with 
its  subsequent  history,  it  must  be  re- 
garded as  not  a  little  remarkable, 
though  from  the  case  of  this  individ- 
ual it  does  not  appear  to  have  been 
always  a  true  index  of  the  character 
of  him  who  bore  it.        IT  King  of  Je~ 


CHAPTER  X. 

IVrOW  it  came  to  pass,  when 
-^  Adoni-zedek  king  of  Jerusa- 
lem had  heard  how  Joshua  had 


rusalem.  The  name  Jerusalem  here 
occurs  for  the  first  time  in  the  scrip- 
tures. The  original  designation  of 
the  city  seems  to  have  been  Salem, 
Gen.  14. 18.  Ps.  76.  2,  as  it  was  called 
in  the  time  of  Melchizedek,  though 
whether  he  were  its  founder  is  alto- 
gether uncertain.  It  was  afterwards 
called  D-'jrTl'^  yerushalaijim,  Jeru- 
salem, a  name  supposed  to  be  com- 
pounded of  ^J^-|'^  yiru  (from  nitl  ^o 
see)  and  tj^'j^r  shalam, peace,  and  signi- 
iymg-vision  of  peace, or  more  literally, 
they  shall  see  peace,  in  prophetic  al- 
lusion to  the  gospel  of  peace  which 
was  afterwards  to  issiie  from  thence. 
Reland,  Schultens  and  others,  it  is 
true,  derive  it  from  ^rii-i'i  yerush  and 
tD  Vij  shalam,  possession  of  peace,  but 
we  prefer  the  former,  and  are  not  un- 
willing to  believe,  with  Masius,  that 
the  name  carries  in  it  a  latent  refer- 
ence to  the  incident  mentioned,  and 
the  words  employed  Gen.  22.  14, 
'  And  Abraham  called  the  name  of 
that  place  Jehovah-jireh:  as  it  is 
said  to  this  day.  In  the  mount  of  the 
Lordit  shall  be  seen.'  The  Hebrew 
nJSl'^  yi'f^h  or  ji7-eh  seems  to  hare 
been  affixed  to  the  ancient  denomina- 
tion Salem,  and  thus  to  have  formed 
the  word  Jerusalem,  mystically  point- 
ing to  the  vision  of  peace  which  Abra- 
ham saw  in  the  future  sacrifice  that 
was  to  be  offered  up  in  the  latter  day 
on  that  same  memorable  mount  or  in 
its  immediate  vicinity.  Moriah,  one 
of  the  mountains  of  Jerusalem,  s\g- 
n  ify ing  r f 51 07K>/Go^,  is  derived  from 
the  same  root,  and  was  probably  so 
called  for  the  same  reason.  After 
coming  into  the  possession  of  the  Jeb- 
usites  it  was  occasionally  called  Je- 
bus,  Josh.  18.  28.  Judg.  19.  10,  11. 
from  the  inhabitants,  but  it  seems 
never  to  have  been  familiarly  known 
by  that  appellation  among  the  Israel- 
ites. It  was  doub'.less  overruled  in 
providence  that  a  name  should  be  be- 


A.  C.  1451.]  CHAPTER  X. 

taken  Ai,  and  had  utterly  de- 
stroyed  it ;  ''as  he  had  done  to 
Jericho  and  her  king,  so  he  had 
done  to  ''Ai  and  her  king  ;  and 
'how  the  inhabitants  of  Gibeon 
had  nnade  peace  with  Israel,  and 
were  among  them  ; 

2  That  they  ''feared  greatly, 
because  Gibeon  was  a  great 
city,  as  one  of  the  royal  cities, 
and  because  it  was  greater  than 
Ai,  and  all  the  men  thereof  t^*ere 
mighty. 

a  r-h.  6.  21.    b  ch.  8.  22,  26,  28.    c  ch.  9.  15.    d  Ex. 
Ij.  14,15,  16,        Dciit.  !l.  25.  ^ 


Stowed  on  the  place  preintimating 
the  nature  of  the  glorious  events  by 
which  it  was  afterwards  to  be  distin- 
guished. IF  Had  utterhj  destroyed. 
Heb.  '  had  made  a  curse,  had  dev^o- 
ted.'  IT  Were  among  them.  Had 
made  alliance  with  them,  had  come 
over  to  their  interest,  had  put  them- 
selves under  their  protection,  and  so 
were  entitled  henceforth  to  dwell  to- 
gether with  them  in  the  country  with- 
out being  exterminated  or  disturbed. 

2.  That  they  feared  greatly.  He 
and  his  people ;  from  which  it  ap- 
pears that  under  the  term  '  king  '  in 
the  preceding  verse  we  are  to  under- 
stand also  the  people  whom  he  rep- 
resented. IT  As  one  of  the  royal 
cities.  Heb.  '  as  one  of  the  cities  of 
the  kingdom.'  Not  that  it  was  actu- 
ally a  royal  city,  the  seat  of  a  king, 
but  it  was  like  one,  being  a  capital 
city  and  having  others  subordinate 
to  it,  ch.  9.  7.  It  was  great,  well  in- 
habited, and  well  fortified,  after  the 
manner  of  those  cities  which  served 
for  royal  residences.  But  they  were 
undoubtedly  a  small  but  powerful  re- 
public, governed  by  elders,  as  we 
hear  nothing  here  or  elsewhere  of 
their  having  a  king.     See  on  ch.  9.  3. 

3.  Wherefore  Adoni-zedek.  sent. 
Because  he  was  most  exposed  to  dan- 
ger, Jerusalem  being  only  six  miles 
from  Gibeon,  and  midway  between 
that  and  the  camp  at  Gilgal,  and  be- 
cause also  he  might  have  possessed 

8* 


85 


3  Wherefore  Adoni-zedek 
king  of  Jerusalem  sent  unto  Ho- 
ham  king  of  Hebron,  and  unto 
Piram  king  of  Jarmuth,  and  unto 
Japhia  king  of  Lachish,  and  unto 
Debir  king  of  Eglon,  saying, 

4  Come  up  unto  me,  and  help 
me,  that  we  may  smite  Gibeon : 
^for  it  hath  made  peace  with  Jo- 
shua  and  with  the  children  of  Is- 
rael. 

5  Therefore  the  five  kings  of 
the  Amorites,  the  king  of  Jeru- 


some  degree  of  precedency  over  the 
other  kings  mentioned. 

4.  That  we  may  smite  Gibeon. 
That  is,  the  Gibeonites.  It  is  very 
conceivable  that  Adoni-zedek  and 
his  associates  may  have  been  glad  of 
a  plausible  pretext  for  attacking  the 
Gibeonites,  as  ^Aeir  more  liberal  form 
of  government  was  a  standing  rebuke 
of  the  despotism  thatprevailedamong 
themselves.  But  their  avoived  mo- 
tive undoubtedly  was  to  punish  the 
citizens  of  Gibeon  for  making  peace 
with  Joshua,  as  if  they  had  thereby 
acted  the  part  of  traitors  to  the  coun- 
try and  greatly  strengthened  the  com- 
mon enemy.  In  this  incident  we  see 
what  usually  takes  place  when  any 
of  the  enemies  of  Christ  submit  them- 
selves to  him.  Their  former  friends 
and  companions  consider  them  as  de- 
serters from  their  standard,  and  are 
often  bitterly  exasperated  against 
them.  '  He  that  departeth  from  evil 
maketh  himself  a  prey.'  Or  if  their 
opposition  does  not  amount  to  actual 
enmity,  it  will  at  least  show  itself  in 
a  way  of  contempt  and  ridicule.  Sa- 
tan too  is  indignant  at  losing  one  of 
his  vassals ;  and  not  only  stimulates 
his  subjects  to  commence  hostilities 
against  them,  but  labors  by  all  possi- 
ble wiles  and  devices  to  bring  them 
back  again  to  their  former  bondage. 
There  is  the  same  enmity  existing 
against  the  cause  of  Christ  now  as 
ever.    Earth  and  hell  will  still  coia- 


86 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


salem,  the  king  of  Hebron,  the 
king  of  Jarmuth,  the  king  of 
Lachish,  the  king  of  Eglon, 
'■gathered  themselves  together, 
and  went  up,  they  and  all  their 
hosts,  and  encamped  before  Gib- 
eon,  and  made  war  against  it. 

6  IT  And  the  men  of  Gibeon 
sent  unto  Joshua  ^to  the  camp 

fCh.  9.  2.         g  ch.  5.  10.  &  9.  6. 

bine  against  his  church,  and  every 
one  that  enters  into  covenant  with 
him  will  like  the  Gibeonites,  have  a 
powerful  confederacy  to  contend 
with. 

5.  The  Jive  kings  of  the  Amorites. 
The  name  of  this  people  is  often  ta- 
ken in  a  large  sense  for  that  of  the 
Canaanites  generally,  or  any  one  of 
them,  doubtless  from  their  being  the 
most  powerful  of  the  distinct  tribes 
that  inhabited  the  country.  Strictly 
speaking  the  people  of  Hebron  were 
Hittites,  ch.  11. 19  and  those  of  Jeru- 
salem, Jebtisites,  ch.  15.  63 ;  and  in 
one  place,  2  Sam.  21.  2,  the  Gibeon- 
ites themselves  though  generally 
termed  Hivites,  are  said  to  be  '  of  the 
remnant  of  the  Amorites.'  Theprob- 
ability  is,  that  the  Amorites,  being  a 
numerous  and  powerful  people  in 
the  Moabitish  territory  sent  out  col- 
onies to  these  several  places,  which 
having  subdued  the  original  inhab- 
itants communicated  their  own  name 
very  extensively  over  the  country. 
IT  Made  loar  against  it.  Put  them- 
selves in  a  warlike  attitude,  made 
ready  for  an  assault,  were  on  the  eve 
of  attacking  them. 

6.  Sent  unto  Joshua.  They  trusted 
to  the  compassion,  the  nobleness, 
the  generosity,  if  not  the  justice  of 
their  new  ally.  They  doubted  not 
that  he  would  consider  himself 
bound  in  honor  and  conscience  to 
succor  r.nd  defend  them,  although 
it  may  not  have  been  expressly  stip- 
lilatedforin  the  articles  of  the  treaty. 
It  was  because  of  their  confidence  in 
Israel  and  their  having  thrown  them- 
selves entirely  upon  their  protection 
that  they  were  now  marked  out  as 


to  Gilgal,  saying,  Slack  not  thy 
hand  from  thy  servants  come  up 
to  us  quickly ;  and  save  us,  and 
help  us  :  for  all  the  kings  of  the 
Amorites  that  dwell  in  the  moun- 
tains are  gathered  together 
against  us. 

7  So  Joshua  ascended   from 
Gilgal,  he,  and  *>all  the  people 


objects  of  the  vengeance  of  their  en- 
emies, and  to  whom  should  they  go 
in  their  extremity  but  to  these  their 
natural  defenders'?  So  when  the 
powers  of  darkness,  like  mighty  Am- 
orites, assail  the  children  of  God,  to 
whom  shall  they  betake  themselves 
but  to  Christ,  their  true  Joshua  1  It 
is  when  we  are  encompassed  with 
evils  that  w^e  feel  the  value  of  that 
covenant  into  which  we  have  entered 
with  him.  If  we  attempt  to  resist 
our  enemies  in  our  own  strength,  we 
shall  infallibly  be  vanquished ;  but 
if  we  betake  ourselves  to  the  Captain 
of  our  salvation  by  fervent  prayer, 
we  cannot  but  succeed,  ^  Slack 
not  thy  hand  from  thy  servants.  Do 
not  leave  them  to  the  fate  which 
threatens  them,  put  forth  vigorous  ef- 
forts for  their  deliverance,  relax  not 
the  hold  which  thou  hast  by  covenant 
taken  of  them.  See  on  ch.  1.  5. 
IF  That  dwell  in  the  mountains. 
Heb.  '  dwellers  or  inhabitants  of  the 
mountain;'  i.e.  of  the  mountainous 
regions.  The  allusion  is  to  the  tract 
lying  to  the  southwest  of  Jerusalem 
called  'the  hill  country,'  Luke  1.  39, 
65,  in  which  were  situated  the  four 
cities  mentioned  above,  v.  3. 

7.  Aiid  oil  the  mighty  men  of  valor. 
Rather,  '  even  all  the  mighty  men  of 
valor;'  so  the  particle  translated 
'  and  '  is  used  in  thousands  of  instan- 
ces, and  it  is  not  easy  to  suppose  that 
'  all  the  people  of  war,'  and  '  all  the 
mighty  men  of  valor'  constituted  two 
separate  portions  of  the  host.  The 
meaning  is  simply  that  he  went  up 
with  an  army  of  picked  men,  men  of 
approved  valor,  and  tried  skill,  to  de- 
fend the  Gibeonites,  their  new  allies, 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  X. 


87 


of  war  with  him,  and   all    the 
mighty  men  of  valor. 

8  1i  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Joshua,  iFear  them  not:  for  I 
have  delivered  them  into  thy 
hand  ;  ^there  shall  not  a  man 
of  them  stand  before  thee. 

9  Joshua  therefore  came  un- 

i  Ch.  11.  6.    Judg.  4.  14.        k  ch.  1.  5. 


against  their  invaders.  A  sufficient 
force  would  of  course  be  left  to  guard 
the  camp  at  Gilgal.  Instead  of 
taking  any  advantage  of  the  mere  let- 
ter of  their  compact,  and  saying  that 
they  never  promised  to  run  the  haz- 
ard of  their  own  lives  to  save  theirs, 
he  nobly  acts  on  its  spirit,  and  re- 
solves that  they  shall  be  no  losers  by 
the  confidence  they  have  reposed  in 
him;  that  they  shall  not  suffer  by 
any  calamity  which  he  can  avert. 
'  To  a  good  mind  the  strongest  obli- 
gation is  another's  trust ;  and  even 
permission  in  those  things  we  may 
remedy,  makes  us  no  less  actors, 
than  consent.  We  are  guilty  of  all 
the  evil  we  might  have  hindered.' 
Bp.  Hall. 

8.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Joshua. 
More  correctly  '  for  the  Lord  had 
said ; '  as  we  cannot  suppose  that  Josh- 
ua undertook  this  expedition  before 
he  had  sought  counsel  of  God,  and 
received  the  encourage.Tient  con- 
tained in  the  ensuing  words.  With- 
out some  such  encouragement  as 
this,  Joshua  might  have  thought  that 
this  formidable  host  was  sent  against 
him  and  his  new  allies  as  a  judgment 
upon  him  for  negotiating  an  unlawful 
treaty.  The  verse  properly  falls  into 
a  parenthesis.  IT  /  have  delivered 
them  into  thy  hand.  The  usual  form 
of  speech  to  express  the  absolute  cer- 
tainty of  a  future  event. 

9.  Went  up  from  Gilgal  all  night. 
The  distance  from  Gilgal  to  Gibeon 
was  about  twenty-six  miles.  By  a 
forced  march  this  distance  might 
have  been  accomplished  in  one  night ; 
but  the  words  do  not  necessarily  re- 
strict us  to  this  period  of  time.   They 


to  them  suddenly,  and  went  up 
from  Gilgal  all  night. 

10  And  the  Lord  idiscom- 
fited  them  before  Israel,  and 
slew  them  with  a  great  slaugh- 
ter at  Gibeon,  and  chased  them 
alouCT  the  way  that  goeth  up 
™to  Beth-horon,  and  smote  them 

1  Judg.  4.  r5.     1  Sam  7.  10,  12.     Ps.  18.  14.    Is.  28. 
21.        m  ch.  16.  3,  5. 


imply  only  that  he  travelled  all  night, 
to  which,  if  we  please,  we  may  add, 
part  of  the  preceding  or  of  the  follow- 
ing day.  The  clause  quoted  reads 
somewhat  awkwardly  as  it  now 
stands,  from  its  seeming  to  put  the 
march  after  the  arrival.  By  omit- 
ting the  word  '  and  '  which  does  not 
occur  in  the  original,  and  inclosing 
the  remainder  in  a  parenthesis,  ('he 
had  gone  up  from  Gilgal  all  night,') 
every  thing  is  made  plain.  Though 
he  had  received  the  positive  assu- 
rance of  a  victory,  yet  he  neglects 
no  prudent  means  of  effecting  it,  and 
therefore  adopting  a  military  strata- 
gem, comes  upon  them  by  surprize, 
'  God's  promises  are  not  intended  to 
slacken  or  supersede,  but  to  quicken 
and  encourage  our  own  endeavors.' 
Henry. 

10.  The  Lord  discomfited  them. 
Or,  Heb.  '  struck  with  dismay,  con- 
founded.' It  is  the  word  employed 
Ex.  23.  27  in  describing  the  effect 
that  should  be  produced  by  divine 
power  upon  the  enemies  of  Israel, 
thoughthere  rendered  less  accurately 
'  destroy.'  It  occurs  also  Ps.  144.  6. 
2  Chron.  15.  6.  IT  And  slew  them 
with  a  great  slaughter.  Or, '  he  slew 
them,'  i.  e.  Israel  slew  them.  In  con- 
sequence of  the  panic  into  which  the 
Lord  had  thrown  them,  his  people 
were  enabled  to  effect  a  great  slaugh- 
ter. The  direct  work  of  God  on  the 
occasion  appears  to  be  described, 
V.  11.  ^  At  Gibeon.  Heb.  'in 
Gibeon ;'  not  in  the  city,  but  in  the 
adjoining  territory  or  domain  called 
by  the  same  name,  as  Joshua  is  said, 
ch.  5.  13,  to  be  in  Jericho,  when  he 
was  merely  in  the  immediate  vicin- 


JOSHUA. 

unto   Mak 


[A.  C.  1451. 


to   "Azekah,    and 
kedah. 

11    And  it   came  to  pass  as 
they  fled  from  before  Israel,  and 

n  Ch.  13.  35. 


ity.  IT  Beth-horon.  The  tribe  of 
Ephraim  contained  two  places  of  this 
name,  the  upper  and  lower.  The 
latter  is  here  probably  referred  to, 
which  lay  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  to 
the  northwest  of  Jerusalem,  and 
where  Dr.  Clarke  says  there  is  now 
an  Arab  village  called  Bethoor. 
IT  Azekah.  Acity  of  Judah,  situated 
about  twelve  miles  west  from  Jeru- 
salem. Eusebius  and  Je  rome  inform 
us  that  there  was  a  town  in  their  time 
about  this  place  named  Ezeca,  which 
was  probably  the  same  with  the  an- 
cient Azekah  here  mentioned.  IT 
Makkcdah.  This  place  was  also  in 
the  tribe  of  Judah,  about  fourteen 
Diiles  southwest  of  Jerusalem. 

1 1 .  The  Lo rd  cast  dozen  great  stones 
from  heaven  upon  them.  That  is,  hail- 
stones of  an  extraordinary  size,  and 
capable  of  doing  dreadful  execution 
in  their  fall  from  heaven.  Some 
have  indeed  contended  that  stones,  in 
the  common  acceptation  of  the  word, 
or  rather  meteoric  stones,  are  inten- 
ded, and  that  such  stones  have 
actually  fallen  from  the  clouds  or 
from  a  greater  height  is  an  incontes- 
tible  fact.  But  there  is  no  good  rea- 
son to  suppose  that  any  such  pheno- 
menon is  alluded  to  here,  for  it  is  im- 
mediately added,  as  if  to  preclude  any 
ground  of  mistake,  that '  they  were 
more  which  died  with  hailstones  than 
they  whom  the  children  of  Israel  slew 
with  the  sword.'  The  Sept.  in 
both  places  translates  it  by  \id<>s  yaXa- 
^rji  hailstones ;  Josephus  calls  it  '  a 
violent  tempest  of  hailstones  of  pro- 
digious size;'  and  the  author  of 
Ecclesiasticus,  ch.  46.  6,  thus  speaks 
of  the  event:  'With  hailstones  of 
mighty  power  he  made  the  battle  to 
fall  violently  upon  the  nations,  and 
in  the  descent  of  Bethhoron  he  de- 
stroyed them  that  resisted.'  That 
God  has,  on  other  occasions,  made 
use  of  hailstones  to  destroy  both  men 


were  in  the  goino:  down  to  Beth- 
horon, °that  the  Lord  cast  down 
great  stones  from  heaven  upon 
them    unto    Azekah,    and   they 

o  Ps.  18.  13,  14.  &77.  17.      Js  30.  30.      Rev.  16.  21. 

and  cattle,  is  clear  from  the  instance 
of  the  plague  of  hail  in  Egj'pt  Ex.  9. 
18,  and  in  the  predictions  of  Ezekiel 
against  Gog,  ch.  33.  22,  the  Most 
High  is  introduced  as  threatening 
that  "  he  would  plead  against  him 
with  pestilence,  and  with  blood,  with 
an  overflowing  rain,  and  great  hail- 
sto7ies,fiTe  and  brimstone."  God  him- 
self, moreover,  speaks  to  Job,  ch.  38. 
22,  23  of  treasures  or  magazines  of 
snow  and  hail,  which  he  has  reserv- 
ed for  the  day  of  battle  and  war.  But 
although  we  have  no  doubt  that  a 
shower  of  hailstones  is  here  intend- 
ed, yet  we  are  equally  convinced 
that  this  shower,  though  natural  in 
itself,  was  supernatiirally  employed 
on  this  occasion.  They  probably 
far  exceeded  the  usual  size,  and  it 
certainly  indicates  a  miraculous  in- 
terposition of  Providence  that  they 
should  have  fallen  at  the  very  crisis 
when  God  promised  to  assist  his  peo- 
ple against  their  enemies,  and  that 
while  in  fallinglheyslewmultitudes 
of  the  fugitive  Canaanites,  they 
should  not  have  harmed  one  of  their 
pursiiers  !  The  following  account 
of  a  similar  phenomenon  happening 
in  our  own  times  is  graphically  de- 
scribed by  one  of  our  own  country- 
men, who  was  something  more  than 
an  eye  witness  of  its  effects.  The 
letter  is  dated  Constantinople,  Aug. 
1831.  "  We  had  got  perhaps  a  mile 
and  a  half  on  our  way,  when  a 
cloud  rising  in  the  west,  gave  indi- 
cations of  an  approaching  rain.  In 
a  few  minutes  we  discovered  some- 
thing falling  from  the  heavens  with 
a  heavy  splash,  and  of  a  whitish  ap- 
pearance. Tcottld  not  conceive  what 
it  was,  but  observing  some  gulls  near, 
I  supposed  it  to  be  them  darting  for 
fish  ;  but  soon  after  discovered  that 
they  were  large  balls  of  ice  falling. 
Immediately  we  heard  a  sound  like 
rumbling  thunder,  or  ten  thousand 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  X. 


died  :  iliey  were  more  which  died 
with  hail-stones  than  they  whom 

carriages  rolling  furiously  over  the 
pavement.  The  whole  Bosphorus 
was  in  a  foam,  as  though  heaven's 
artillery  had  been  discharged  upon 
us  and  our  frail  machine.  Our  fate 
seemed  inevitable,  our  um.brellas 
were  raised  to  protect  us ;  the  lumps 
of  ice  stripped  them  into  ribands. 
"We  fortunately  had  a  bullocks  hide 
in  the  boat,  under  which  we  crawled 
and  saved  ourselves  from  farther  in- 
jury. One  man,  of  the  three  oars- 
men, had  his  hand  literally  smashed ; 
another  much  injured  in"  the  shoul- 
der; Mr.  H.  received  a  severe  blow 
in  the  leg;  my  right  hand  was  some- 
what disabled,  and  all  more  or  less 
injured.  A  smaller  kaick  accom- 
panied with  my  two  servants.  They 
were  both  disabled,  and  are  now  in 
bed  with  their  wounds ;  the  kaick 
was  terribly  bruised.  It  was  the 
most  awful  and  terrific  scene  that  I 
ever  witnessed,  and  God  forbid  that 
I  should  be  ever  exposed  to  such  an- 
other. Balls  of  ice,  as  large  as  my 
two  fists,  fell  into  the  boat,  and  some 
of  them  came  with  such  violence  as 
certainly  to  have  broken  an  arm  or 
leg  had  they  struck  us  in  those  parts. 
One  of  them  struck  the  blade  of  an 
oar  and  split  it.  The  scene  lasted, 
perhaps,  five  minutes;  but  it  was  five 
minutes  of  the  most  awful  feeling 
that  I  ever  experienced.  When  it 
passed  over,  we  found  the  surround- 
ing hills  covered  with  masses  of  ice, 
I  cannot  call  it  hail ;  the  trees  stripped 
of  their  leaves  and  limbs,  and  every 
thing  looking  desolate.  We  pro- 
ceeded on  our  course,  however,  and 
arrived  at  our  destination,  drenched 
and  awe-struck.  The  ruin  had  not 
extended  so  far  as  Candalie,  and  it 
was  difhcult  to  make  them  compre- 
hend the  cause  of  the  nervous  and 
agitated  condition  in  which  we  ar- 
rived ;  the  Reis  Effendi  asked  me  if 
I  was  ever  so  agitated  when  in  ac- 
tion %  I  answered  no,  for  then  I  had 
something  to  excite  me,  and  human 
means  only  to  oppose.  He  asked  the 
minister  if  he  ever  was  so  affected 


the  children  of  Israel  slew  with 
the  sword. 


in  a  gale  of  Avind  at  seal  He  an- 
swered no,  for  then  he  col^ld  exer- 
cise his  skill  to  disarm  or  render 
harmless  the  elements.  He  asked 
him  why  he  should  be  affected  now  *? 
He  replied,  '  From  the  awful  idea  of 
being  crushed  to  death  by  the  hand 
of  God  with  stones  from  heaven, 
when  resistance  would  be  vain,  and 
where  it  would  be  impious  to  be 
brave.'  He  clasped  his  hands,  raised 
his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  exclaimed, 
'  God  is  great !'  Up  to  this  hour, 
late  in  the  afternoon,  I  have  not  re- 
covered my  composure  ;  my  nerves 
are  so  affected  as  scarcely  to  be  able 
to  hold  my  pen,  or  communicate  my 
ideas.  The  scene  was  awful  beyond 
all  description.  I  have  witnessed  re- 
peated earthquakes;  the  lightning 
has  played,  as  it  were,  about  my 
head ;  the  wind  roared,  and  the 
waves  have  at  one  moment  thrown 
me  to  the  sky,  and  the  next  have  sunk 
me  into  a  deep  abyss.  I  have  been 
in  action ,  and  seen  death  and  destruc- 
tion around  me  in  every  shape  of 
horror;  but  I  never  before  had  the 
feeling  of  awe  which  seized  upon  me 
on  this  occasion,  and  still  haunts,  and 
I  feel  will  ever  haunt  me.  I  return- 
ed to  the  beautiful  village  of  Buyuc- 
dere.  The  sun  was  out  in  all  its 
splendor,  at  a  distance  all  looked 
smiling  and  charming,  but  a  nearer 
approach  discovered  roofs  covered 
with  workmen  repairing  the  broken, 
tiles,  desolated  vineyards,  and  shat- 
tered windows.  My  porter,  the  bold- 
est of  my  family,  who  had  ventured 
an  instant  from  the  door,  had  been 
knocked  down  by  a  hailstone,  and  had 
they  not  dragged  him  in  by  the  heels, 
would  have  heen  battered  to  death. 
Of  a  flock  of  geese  in  front  of  our 
house,  six  were  killed,  and  the  rest 
dreadfully  mangled.  Two  boatmen 
were  killed  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
village,  and  I  have  heard  of  broken 
bones  in  abundance.  Many  of  the 
thick  brick  tiles,  with  which  my  roof 
is  covered,  are  smashed  to  atoms, 
and  my  house  was  inundated  by  the 


90 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


12  IT  Then  spake  Joshua  to 
the  Lord  in  the  day  when  the 

rain  that  succeeded  this  visitation.  It 
is  impossible  to  convey  an  idea  of 
what  it  was.  Imagine'  to  yourself, 
however,  the  heavens  suddenly  froze 
over,   and   as  suddenly  broken    to 

Eieces  in  irregular  masses,  of  from 
alf  a  pound  to  a  pound  weight,  and 
precipitated  to  the  earth.  My  own 
servants  weighed  several  pieces  of 
three  quarters  of  a  pound  ;  and  ma- 
ny were  found  by  others  of  upwards 
of  a  pound.  There  were  many  which 
fell  around  the  boat  in  which  I  was, 
that  appeared  to  me  to  be  as  large  as 
the  swell  of  a  large  sized  water  de- 
canter. You  may  think  this  ro- 
mance. I  refer  to  the  bearer  of  this 
letter,  who  was  with  me,  aiid  witnes- 
sed the  scene,  for  the  truth  of  every 
word  it  contains."  Com.  Porter's 
Leiters  from  Constantinople  and  its 
Environs ;  Vol.1,  p.  M. 

1 2.  Then  spake  Joshua  te  the  Lord. 
That  is,  before,  in  the  presence  of, 
having  a  reference  to.  There  is  no- 
thing said  of  a  direct  address  to  Je- 
hovah, though  we  cannot  doubt  that 
such  an  one  was  madeon  the  occasion, 
but  the  address  here  mentioned  was 
to  the  sun  and  moon.  The  phrase- 
ology in  the  original  is  not  that 
which  is  usually  employed  to  intim- 
ate a  direct  address  whether  in  prayer 
or  otherwise  from  one  person  to  an- 
other. Instead  of  niu'^  "^^lo  Jehovah, 
it  is  nin'^b  properly  hnpor ting  before 
Jehevak  or  in  reference  to  him.  It  is 
a  similar  mode  of  expression  to  that 
employed  by  Paul,  1  Cor.  14.  2,  'He 
that  speaketh  in  an  anknown  tongue 
speaketh  not  unto  men  but  unto  God,-' 
i.  e.  not  directly  to  God  but  so  that 
Godunderstands  him,  God  takes  cog- 
nizauce  of  what  he  says.  2  Cor.  5.  13, 
*  For  whether  we  be  beside  ourselves 
it  is  lo  God,'  i.  e.  in  reference  to  God, 
he  is  the  ultimate  object  of  it.  So 
here  Joshua's  speaking  was  not 
directly  to  God,  but  there  was  a  uni- 
son between  his  spirit  and  the  spirit 
of  God  in  his  speaking  and  he  had 
all  along  a  believing  reference  to  God, 
See  on  v.  14.    Seeing  the  day  far 


Lord  delivered   up  the  Amor- 
ites    before  the  children  of  Is. 


spent,  Joshua  feared  that  he  might 
not  have  time  to  complete  the  victo- 
ry which  he  had  so  auspiciously  be- 
gun, and  being  suddenly  prornpted 
from  above,  and  inspired  "with  divine 
confidence,  he  commanded,  in  the 
name  of  Jehovah,  the  occurrence  of 
a  stupendous  miracle  in  order  to  pro- 
long the  day  till  the  destruction  of 
his  enemies  was  completely  effect- 
ed! ^  He  said  in  the  sight  of  Israel^ 
Sun,  stand  thou  still,  &c.  Or,  Heb. 
'  he  said,  In  the  sight  of  Israel,  Sun, 
be  thou  silent  in  Gibeon.'  The  verb 
in  the  original,  generally  rendered 
cease,  rest,  be  still,  keep  silence,  pro- 
perly implies  cessation  from  actionv 
or  noise,  rather  than  from  motion, 
and  is  perhaps  most  frequently  used 
metaphorically  to  signify  a  silent 
submissive  frame  of  spirit,  a  subdued^ 
patient,  expectant  ottilude  of  soul, 
like  that  of  the  Psalmist  when  he 
says,  Ps.  62.  1,  using  this  very  word, 
'  Truly  my  soul  n-aiteth  upon  (Heb, 
is  silent  \o)  God.'  See  also  Sam.  14. 
9.  Ps.  4.  4.-37.  7.  Is.  23.  2.  It  is 
usually  spoken  of  an  intelligent 
agent, 'and  as  the  import  of  the  Heb. 
word  for  sun,  is  servant  or  minister^ 
it  is  used  with  great  propriety  here 
as  expressive  of  the  command  of  a 
master  to  a  servant  Xo  pause,  to  rest^ 
in  his  routine  of  service,  and  to  as- 
sume a  still,  quiet,  patient  posture 
indicative  of  the  most  entire  subjec- 
tion, and  as  if  waiting  for  further  or- 
ders. Such  is  the  genuine  force  of 
the  original,  which  cannot  perhaps 
be  fully  expressed  in  any  version. — 
The  phrase '  in  Gibeon'  means  in  this 
connection  over  Gibeon,  implying- 
that  Joshua  looked  off  to  a  distance 
and  saw  the  sun  apfarcnthj  standing- 
over  the  city  or  cities  of  Gibeon. — 
As  to  the  nature  of  the  miracle  itself, 
on  which  much  has  been  written,  it 
maybe  remarked,  (1)  That  the  scrip- 
tures generally  speak  in  ^Jo^^i/Z^zr  and 
not  in  scientific  language ;  that  they 
describe  the  things  of'  the  natural 
world,  not  according  to  strict  philo- 
sophic truth,  but  according  to  ap- 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  X. 


91 


rael,  and  he  said  in   the   sight 
of  Israel,  pSi^i,  stand  thou  still 

pis.  23    21.  Hub   ?.  n. 

pearance  and  common  apprehension. 
Thus  they  speak  of  the  sun's  rising 
and  setting,  of  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
of  passing  from  one  f??i(^  of  heaven  to 
another,  &c.     Indeed,  it  was  only  in 
this   way  that  Joshua  could  have 
conveyed  any  clear  idea  to  the  peo- 
ple of  what  he  intended  to  express 
by  the  command.     Had  he  uttered 
the  words,   '  Earth,  stand  thou  still 
\ipon  thine  axis  ;'   they  would  have 
thought  him  absolutely  distracted. 
He  spake  therefore  in  the  common 
popular  style  adopted  by  philosophers 
themselves  in   ordinary   discourse, 
and  every  one  can  see  that  this  was 
obviously  the  proper  mode.  Nor  can 
any  one  object  to  this  diction  in  the 
sacred  writers  w^ithout  virtually  en- 
tering  his  protest  against  the  every 
day    language    of   all    enlightened 
countries  on  the  earth.     Whether, 
therefore,  the  sun  or  the  globe  be 
supposed  to  have  been  arrested  in 
its  career  on  this  occasion,  is  imma- 
terial to  the  truth  of  the  narrative, 
as   the    appearance,  in    eacb  case, 
would  be  the  same,  and  it  is  the 
appearaiice    and    not     the    reality. 
which  is   described.       (2)  Of    the 
precise  mode  in  which  the  miracle 
took  place,  two   solutions  may  be 
given,   though  it   must  necessarily 
ever  be  impossible  to  determine  posi- 
tively which  of  them  is  the  true  one. 
The  effect  may  have  been  owing  to 
the  actual  cessation  of  the  earth's  mo- 
tion round  the  sun.     This,  however, 
without  an  equally  miraculous  in- 
terference of  the   Almighty  would 
have  produced  the  most  tremendous 
effects  not  only  upon  the  globe  itself, 
but  perhaps  upon  the  entire  solar  sys- 
tem and  the  equilibrium  of  the  whole 
material  universe.  The  natural  con- 
.sequence  of  such  a  sudden  check  in 
the  course  of  the  earth  would  have 
been,  by  means  of  the  atmosphere, 
to  crush  at  once  all  animal  and  ve- 
getable existence,  to  level  with  the 
ground  the  most  lofty  and  massive 
structures,  and  in  fact  to  sweep  the 


upon  Gibeon,  and  thou  Moon,  in 
the  valley  of  ^'Ajalon. 

q  Judg.  Vi.  12. 


whole  surface  of  the  globe  as  with 
the  besom  of  destruction.  Yet  the 
same  power  which  was  competent  to 
stay  the  globe  in  its  diurnal  revolu- 
tion, was  equally  competent  to  guard 
against  any  destructive  consequen- 
ces arising  from  it,  and  the  miracle 
may  have  been  wrought  in  the  way 
now  described.  But  the  more  pro- 
bable explanation  in  our  opinion  is, 
that  the  phenomenon  related  was 
merely  optical ;  that  the  rotatory 
motion  of  the  earth  was  not  disturb- 
ed; but  that  instead  of  this  the  light 
of  the  sun  and  moon  was  supernatu- 
rally  prolonged  by  the  operation  of 
the  same  laws  of  refraction  and  re- 
flection that  ordinarily  cause  the  sun 
to  appear  above  the  horizon  when  he 
is  in  reality  beloio  it.  He  who  creat- 
ed the  heavenly  luminaries  and  es- 
tablished the  laws  which  regulate 
the  transmission  of  light,  may  at  this 
time  have  so  influenced  the  medium 
through  which  the  sun's  rays  passed, 
as  to  render  the  sun's  disk  still  visi- 
ble long  after  the  time  when  in  or- 
dinary circumstances  it  would  have 
disappeared.  This  would  of  course 
have  had  all  the  visible  effect  of  ac- 
tually bringing  the  earth  to  a  pause 
in  its  revolution  round  its  axis,  and 
as  this  answers  all  the  demands  of 
the  text,  we  are  not  solicitous  to  seek 
any  more  satisfactory  solution  ofthe 
difficulty.  IT  Thou  moon  in  the  valley 
of  Ajalo'ii:  That  is  over  the  valley 
of  Ajalon.  A  city  of  Benjamin  in 
the  near  neighborhood  of  Gibeon,  so 
near  in  fact,  that  what  is  here  termed 
the  valley  of  Ajalon  seems  in  Is.  28. 
24,  in  allusion  to  this  event  to  be  call- 
ed the  valley  of  Gibeon.  Junius  and 
Temellius,  ifor  the  most  part  extreme- 
ly judicious  commentators,  under- 
stand the  import  ofthe  command  to 
be,  that  the  sun  should  stay  itself 
from  setting  over  Gibeon  and  the 
moon  from  rising  or  advancing  over 
Ajalon,  because  the  appearance  of 
the  moon  is  the  signal  for  the  coming 
on  of  night,  which  Joshua  would  no^ 


92 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


13  And  the  sun  stood  still, 
and  the  moon  stayed,  until  the 
people  had  avenged  themselves 
upon  their  enemies.  ""Is  not 
this  written  in  the  book  of  Jash- 

r  2  Sain.  I.  18. 


have  to  be  delayed.  Certain  it  is, 
that  the  light  of  the  moon,  even  when 
seen,  is  of  very  little  service  while 
the  sun  is  above  the  horizon,  and  as 
we  suppose  the  sun  itself  to  have 
been  at  this  time  near  the  horizon 
we  take  this  command  to  the  moon 
to  be  introduced  merely  as  a  poetic 
ornament  to  make  out  the  paralle- 
lism so  common  to  the  poetical  style 
of  the  Hebrews.  It  is  in  fact  doubt- 
ful whether  the  whole  passage  be  not 
a  quotation  from  the  book  of  Jasher 
mentioned  below,  and  whether  that 
book  were  not  a  collection  of  nation- 
al songs  or  lyric  poems  composed  in 
praise  of  Joshua  and  other  distin- 
guished heroes  and  champions  of 
Israel. 

13.  Written  iu  the  book  of  Jasher. 
Or,  Heb.  '  the  book  of  the  upright;' 
i.  e.  perhaps,  of  eminently  good  and 
upright  men,  men  distinguished  at 
once  for  moral  worth  and  military 
prowess.  As  this  book  is  generally 
supposed  to  have  long  since  perished, 
though  affirmed  by  some  of  the  Jews 
to  be  still  in  existence,  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  determine  with  certainty  what 
it  ^vas.  Mention  of  it  occurs  again 
2  Sam.  1.  18,  where  David's  lamen- 
tation over  Saul  is  said  to  be  extract- 
ed from  it.  It  was  probably  a  col- 
lection of  poems,  or  national  ballads 
celebrating  the  chief  events  of  the 
wars  of  Israel  and  the  praises  of  their 
most  distinguished  heroes.  IT  In 
the  midst  of  heaven.  Heb. '  in  the  di- 
vision, or  the  half  of  the  heavens ;' 
i.  e.  above  the  horizon,  where  the  up- 
per is  divided  from  the  lower  hemi- 
sphere of  heaven.  Some  have  sup- 
posed it  to  mean  the  same  as  '  in  the 
meridian  of  heaven,'  but  at  that  hour 
of  the  day  how  could  the  moon  be 
visible,  or  how  did  Joshua  know  but 
he  should  have  ample  time,  before 
sunset,  to  complete  the  victory '?  The 


er  ?  So  the  sun  stood  still  in  the 
midst  of  heaven,  a^d  hasted  not 
to  go  down  about  a  whole  day. 
14  And  there  was  'no  day 
like   that    before  it  or  after   it, 

sSee  Is.  3S.  8. 


Other  view  is,  therefore,  we  think, 
to  be  preferred.  IT  Hasted  not  to 
go  down  about  a  lohole  day.  Heb, 
'  hasted  not  to  go  down  ^^)2r\  DT^^ 
as  at  the  perfect  day  ;  i.  e.  as  it  nat- 
urally does  when  the  day  is  finished, 
when  the  ordinary  space  of  a  day 
has  elapsed.  This  we  conceive  to  be 
the  true  force  of  the  original,  though 
aware  that  it  requires  one  to  be  ac- 
quainted with  the  Hebrew  in  order 
to  feel  the  force  of  the  evidence  in 
favor  of  such  a  rendering.  Such  a 
one,  however,  upon  turning  to  the 
original  of  Ex.  31.  18.  Deut.  16.  6. 
—•24.  13.  Ps.  73.  19,  will  find,  if  we 
mistake  not,  ample  proof  of  the  cor- 
rectness of  this  interpretation.  The 
meaning,  as  we  understand  it,  is  not, 
that  the  day  was  miraculously  length- 
ened out  to  the  extent  of  twelve  hours, 
or  another  whole  day,  but  simply  that 
when  the  ordinary  duration  of  a  day 
was  completed,  the  sun  still  delayed 
his  setting,  but  for  how  long  a  time 
we  are  not  informed  :  long  enough, 
however,  we  may  presume,  for  fully 
accomplishing  the  objects  for  which 
the  miracle  was  granted. 

14.  That  the  Lord  hearkened  unto 
the  voice  of  a  man.  That  is,  for 
such  a  purpose.  Not  that  this  was 
the  first  time  that  the  prayers  of  a 
mortal  had  power  with  God,  for  those 
of  Moses  had  often  prevailed  with 
him,  but  he  had  never  before  heark- 
ened to  the  voice  of  man  to  alter  so 
signally  the  course  of  nature,  or  to 
grant  such  an  illustrious  display  of 
his  power  in  behalf  of  his  people. 
The  passage  imports  that  the  com- 
mand of  Joshua  was  i7i  effect,  though 
not  in  form,  a  prayer  to  Jehovah  for 
the  performance  of  the  miracle.  In 
like  manner  that  which  seems  to 
have  been  uttered  by  Elijah,  1  Kings 
17.  1,  as  a  prophecy,  is  spoken  of  by 
James  ch.  5.  17.  as  a  prayer.    Prob^ 


A.  C.  145L]  CHAPTER  X. 

that  the  Lord  hearkened  unto 
the  voice  of  a  man  :  for  Uhe 
Lord  fought  for  Israel. 

15  IF  "And  Joshua  returned, 
and  all  Israel  with  him,  unto  the 
camp  to  Gilgol. 

16  But  these  five  kings  fled, 
and  hid  themselves  in  a  cave  at 
Makkedah. 

t  Deut.  1.  30.    V    42   &  ch.  23  3.        u  v,  43. 


ably  no  miracles  were  brought  by  the 
ancient  prophets  or  servants  of  God 
but  in  connection  with  the  most  fer- 
vent '  in-wrought'  prayer.  It  is  on- 
ly by  earnest  prayer  that  we  take 
hold  of  the  strength  of  God.  IT 
For  ike  Lord  fought  for  Israel.  This 
seems  to  be  added  as  if  in  answer  to 
the  natural  inquiry;  'Why  was 
such  a  miracle  wrought  on  this  occa- 
sion 1  To  what  was  it  owing  that 
Israel  was  so  favored  V  Because, 
says  the  writer,  the  Lord  fought  for 
them.  He  was  engaged  on  their 
side  ;  and  it  was  in  consequence  of 
his  purpose  and  his  promise  to  be- 
friend them  V.  8,  12,  that  he  gra- 
ciously heard  the  prayer  of  Joshua. 
15.  And  Joshua  returned  to  Gilgal. 
The  occurrence  of  this  verse  in  this 
place  has  occasioned  great  perplex- 
ity to  commentators.  As  it  is  verba- 
tim the  same  as  the  last  verse  of  this 
chapter,  and  is  wanting  in  some  of  the 
ancient  versions,  many  have  thought 
that  it  was  inserted  here  by  the 
error  of  some  transcriber,  and  that 
the  only  way  to  obtain  a  correct  view 
of  the  thread  of  the  narrative  is  to 
neglect  it  altogether.  It  cannot,  it 
is  said,  be  supposed  that  Joshua 
should  have  broken  off  in  the  mid- 
career  of  his  victory  and  just  after 
the  above  mentioned  miracle,  march- 
ed his  army  twenty  or  thirty  miles  to 
Gilgal,  and  then  have  immediately  re- 
turned again  to  the  scene  of  action 
to  complete  the  work  of  conquest. 
What  could  be  the  object  of  such  a 
strange  diversion  of  his  forces  at 
such  a  crisis '?  But  we  are  inclined 
to  consider  It  as  inserted  here  mere- 
9 


17  And  it  was  told  Joshua, 
saying.  The  five  kings  are  found 
hid  in  a  cave  at  Makkedah. 

18  And  Joshua  said.  Roll 
great  stones  upon  the  mouth  of 
the  cave,  and  set  men  by  it  for 
to  keep  them  : 

19  And  stay  ye  not,  hut  pur- 
sue   after    your     enemies,    and 


ly  by  anticipation.  The  writer's 
drift  is  apparently  to  close  the  gen- 
eral account  of  the  engagement  de- 
scribed above  by  saying  that  when  it 
was  ended  Joshua  and  the  Israelites 
returned  to  the  camp ;  not  however 
that  this  took  place  immediately ; 
there  were  some  additional  incidents 
that  occurred  prior  to  that  return, 
which  were  too  important  to  bs  over- 
looked in  the  history,  and  which  he 
here  takes  occasion  to  relate.  This 
he  does  in  the  ensuing  verses  v. 
16 — 42,  after  which  he  inserts  again, 
in  its  proper  place,  the  account  of 
Joshua's  return  to  the  camp.  The 
repetition  of  the  words  at  the  end  of 
the  chapter  seems  designed  to  cor- 
rect the  misapprehension  that  might 
arise,  on  reading  them  in  iheir  first 
connection,  as  to  the  precise  time 
to  which  they  refer.  This  we  re- 
gard as  a  safer  solution  of  the  diffi- 
culty than  to  suppose  an  error  in  the 
copyist,  which  in  this  instance  seems 
to  us  improbable. 

16.  In  a  cave  at  Makkedah.  Heb. 
'  in  Makkedah ;'  that  is,  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Makkedah,  in  the  region 
adjoining  the  city,  not  in  the  city  it- 
self See  what  is  said  above  of  the 
phrase  '  in  Jericho,'  ch.  5.  13,  and  '  in 
Gibeon,'  ch.  10.  10.  Compare  too 
with  this  what  is  said  Am.  9.  2 — 4 
of  the  vain  attempts  of  God's  enemies 
to  conceal  themselves  from  his  pre- 
sence. 

18.  Set  men  by  it.  Heb. 'give  men 
charge  over  it.' 

19.  Smite  the  hindmost  of  them. 
Heb.  *  cut  off  the  tail,'  as  the  rear- 
guard of  an  army  is  called.    The 


94 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  145L 


amite  the  hindmost  of  them ; 
suffer  them  not  to  enter  into 
their  cities:  for  the  Lord  your 
God  hath  delivered  them  into 
your  hand. 

20  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
Joshua  and  the  children  of  Is- 
rael had  made  an  end  of  slaying 
them  with  a  very  grea^t  slaugh- 
ter, till  they  were  consumed, 
that  the  rest  7cliich  remainfid  of 
them  entered  into  fenced  cities. 

21  And  all  the  people  re- 
turned  to  the  camp  to  Joshua 


original  term  occurs  only  once  else- 
where, Deut.  25.  1.  18,  '  Servants, 
dependants,  or  courtiers,  in  the  East, 
always/oZ^ow  their  superiors.  Should 
one  of  them  cease  to  serve  or  follow 
his  master  or  patron,  having  gained 
his  end,  another  on  seeing  this,  asks, 
"Where  is  your  taiH"— "  The  tail 
has  been  long  in  my  way,  I  have  cut 
it  off.'"  Roberts.  IT  Suffer  them 
not  to  enter  into  their  cities.  Where 
they  would  recover  strength  and  re- 
new the  war.  It  seems  however  from 
the  next  verse  that  a  few  stragglers 
succeeded  in  getting  refuge  in  these 
defenced  cities,  but  they  were  soon 
followed  thither  and  destroyed. 

20.  When  Joshua  and  the  children 
of  Israel.  That  is,  Joshua  by  the 
children  of  Israel,  by  their  agency. 
It  is  evident  from  v.  21  that  Joshua 
did  not  accompany  them  in  person, 
but  awaited  their  return  at  Makke- 
dah.  Itis,  however,  entirely  accord- 
ing to  scripture  analogy  to  speak  of 
that  as  done  by  a  commander,  which 
was  done  by  the  soldiers  under  his 
authority  and  control.  The  phrase 
may  also  be  rendered, '  Joshua,  even 
the  children  of  Israel.' 

21.  All  the  people  returned  to  the 
camp  at  Makkedah.  That  is,  the 
whole  detachment  which  Joshua  had 
sent  out  to  scour  the  country  and  cut 
off  the  remaining  straggling  Canaan- 
ites.    Probably  a  temporary  encamp- 


at  Makkedah  in  peace  :  ^none 
moved  his  tongue  against  any 
of  the  children  of  Israel. 

..2  Then  said  Joshua,  Open 
the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and  bring 
out  those  five  kings  unto  me 
out  of  the  cave. 

2*3  And  they  did  so,  and 
brought  forth  those  five  kings 
unto  him  out  of  the  cave,  the 
king  of  Jerusalem,  the  king  of 
Hebron,  the  king  of  Jarmuth, 
the  king  of  Lachish,  and  the 
king  of  Eglon. 


ment  had  been  formed  here  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  array  after  the 
victory,  in  consequence  of  the  kings 
being  imprisoned  in  a  cave  near  it. 
IT  In  peace.  Safe  and  sound.  See 
Gen.  28.  21.  Judg.  8.  9.  _  IT  ^one 
moved  his  tongue.  That  is,  none  of 
the  Canaanites.  They  were  struck 
dumb  with  astonishment ;  they  were 
so  utterly  confounded  by  the  display 
of  supernatural  power  put  forth  in 
behalf  of  Israel,  that  they  presumed 
not  to  breathe  a  whisper  of  insult  or 
reproach.  As  the  Israelites  marched 
in  triumph  through  their  towns  and 
villages,  so  far  from  venturing  to 
lift  a  hand  against  them,  they  did  not 
even  open  their  lips.  It  is  a  prover- 
bial expression,  intimating  a  free- 
dom from  any  kind  of  insult  or  mo- 
lestation. '  When  a  person  speaks 
of  the  fear  to  which  his  enemy  is  re- 
duced, he  says,  "  Ah  !  he  dares  not 
now  to  shake  his  tongue  against  me." 
"  He  hurt  you !  the  fellow  will  not 
shake  h  is  tongue  against  you." '  Ro- 
berts. See  a  similar  mode  of  speech 
Ex.  11.  7.  The  Chal.  renders  it, 
'  There  was  no  hurt  or  Joss  to  Israel, 
for  which  any  man  should  afflict  his 
soul.'  Whether  or  no  this  be  the 
sense  of  the  words,  such  was  no  doubt 
the  fact.  When  the  army  came  to 
be  reviewed  after  the  battle,  there 
was  none  slain,  none  wounded,  none 
missing,  not  one  Israelite  had  occa- 


A.  C. 


1451.] 


CHAPTER  X. 


95 


24  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
they  brought  out  those  kings 
unto  Josliua,  that  Joshua  called 
for  all  the  men  of  Israel,  and 
said  unto  the  captains  of  the 
men  of  war  which  went  with 
him.  Come  near,  yput  your  feet 
upon  the  necks  of  these  kings. 
And  they  came  near,  and  put 
their  feet  upon  the  necks  of 
them. 

25  And  Joshua  said  unto  them 
*Fear  not,  nor  be  dismayed,  be 
strong   and  of  good   courage  : 


y  Ps.  107  -JO  &  110  5.  ft  141.  8  9.  U 
4-  3.        7.  Lfeui.  31.  6,  1;.    cli.  1.  9. 


for  *thus  shall  the  Lord  do  to 
all  your  enemies  against  whom 
ye  fi^ht. 

26  And  afterward  Joshua 
smote  them,  and  blew  them,  and 
hanged  them  on  five  trees  :  and 
they  ^were  hanging  upon  the 
trees  until  the  eve.iing. 

27  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the 
timH  of  the  going  down  of  the 
sun,  that  Joshua  commanded, 
and  they  "^took  them  down  ofT 
the  trees,  and  cast  them  into  the 
cave  wherein  they  had  been  hid. 


a  Den*.  3.  21.  &  7. 
23.     ch.  8  29. 


bch.  8.  29.        c  Deut.  U. 


sion  to  lament  the  loss  of  a  friend  or 
the  loss  of  a  limb.  The  original  is 
very  express  that?io^  one  single  Isra- 
elite was  harmed  either  by  word  or 
weapon.  So  complete,  so  superhu- 
man, so  s^lorious  was  the  victory. 

24,  All  the  vien  of  Israel.  Heb. 
*  all  the  man  or  manhood  of  Israel.' 
i.  e.  all  the  men  of  war,  the  flower 
and  prime  of  the  army  by  whom  the 
recent  victory  had  been  obtained. 
Seeonch.9.6.  ^  Put  your  feet  %tpon 
the  necks  of  these  kings.  Not  as  a 
personal  insult  to  the  kings,  but  sym- 
oolically,  in  token  not  only  of  the 
present  complete  victory,  but  of  the 
absolute  subjection  to  which  all  their 
adversaries  would  finally  be  reduced, 
as  Joshua  himself  explains  it  in  the 
next  verse.  '  This  in  the  East  is  a 
favorite  way  of  triumphing  over  a 
fallen  foe.  When  people  are  dispu- 
ting, should  one  be  a  little  pressed, 
and  the  other  begin  to  triumph,  the 
former  will  say,  "  I  will  tread  upon 
thy  neck,  and  after  that  beat  thee." 
A  low  caste  man  insulting  one  who 
is  high,  is  sure  to  hear  some  one  say 
to  the  offended  individual, "  Put  your 
feet  on  his  neck." '  Roberts.  In  like 
manner,  we  are  also  taught  to  regard 
our  victories  past  as  pledges  of  fu- 
ture and  greater  conquests. — The 
severity  enjoined  towards  the  van- 
quished kings,  though  abhorrent  to 
our  humane  feelings,  was  right,  be- 


cause it  was  commanded,  Deut,  20. 
16,  17,  and  it  was  important  that  in 
doing  the  Lord's  work  the  Israelites 
should  be  taught  the  lesson  elsewhere 
inculcated  by  the  prophet,  Jer.  4.  8. 
'  Cursed  be  he  that  doeth  the  Lord's 
work  deceitfully,  and  cursed  be  he 
that  keepeth  back  his  sword  from 
blood.'  The  act  here  mentioned  wa& 
in  fulfilment  of  the  prediction  Dent. 
33.  29.  '  Thou  shall  tread  upon  their 
high  places,'  on  which  see  note. 

26.  Hanged  them  on  five  trees,  &c. 
See  on  ch.  8.  29. 

27.  At  the  time  of  the  going  down 
of  the  sun.  Whether  this  was  on  the 
evening  of  the  day  so  miraculously 
lengthened  oat,  or  of  the  following, 
it  is  not  perhaps  possible  to  deter- 
mine. Consideringthe  space  of  time 
naturally  requisite  for  the  preceding 
events,  we  incline  to  the  latter  sup- 
position. IT  Cast  them  into  the  cave. 
'  That  which  they  thought  would 
have  been  their  shelter,  was  made 
their  prison  first,  and  then  their  grave. 
So  shall  we  be  disappointed  in  thai 
which  we  flee  to  from  God ;  yet  to 
good  people  the  grave  is  still  *  a  hi- 
ding-place,' Job.  14. 3.  Henry.  IT 
Laid  great  stones  in  the  cavers  mouth. 
Mainly,  we  presume,  for  the  same 
reason  that  a  similar  monument  was 
raised  over  the  place  where  Achan 
was  stoned  and  burnt,  ch.  7.  26;  to 
perpetuate  the  memory  of  the  event 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  I45I. 


and  laid  rrrcat  stones  in  the 
cave's  nnouth,  which  remain  un- 
til this  very  day. 

28  II  And  that  day  Joshua 
took  Makkedah,  and  smote  it 
with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and 
the  king  thereof  he  utterly  de- 
stroyed, them,  and  all  the  souls 
that  were  therein  ;  he  let  none 
remain  :  and  he  did  to  the  king 
of  Makkedah  ^^as  he  did  unto  the 
king  of  Jericho. 

29  Then  Joshua  passed  from 
Makkedah,  and  all  Israel  with 
h'm,  unto  Libnah,  and  fought 
against  Libnah  : 

30  And  the  Lord  delivered  it 
also,  and  the  king  thereof,  into 
the    hand   of    Israel  :     and    he 


in  connection  with  the  disgrace  and 
ignominy  of  the  culprits  M'ho  suffer- 
ed there.  Masius  remarks,  without 
specifying  his  authority,  that  'those 
who  have  visited  this  region  say,  that 
the  cave  is  still  shown  in  a  hill  near 
Makkedah,  its  mouth  being  closed 
by  a  wall  to  preserve  it  as  a  monu- 
ment.' 

28.  That  day  Joshua  took  Makke- 
dah. The  same  day  on  which  the 
kings  were  hung,  and  which  we  have 
already  remarked  was  probably  the 
day  subsequent  to  that  on  which  the 
sun  stood  still.  Yet  it  is  possible  that 
the  sense  may  be,  that  about  that  time 
— not  on  the  "identical  day — he  took 
the  city  of  Makkedah.  It  might  have 
been  a  day  or  two  later.  IT  The 
king  thereof heutterly  destroyed.  Heb. 
'  devoted,  "made  a  curse.'  IT  All 
the  souls.  That  is,  all  the  people,  men, 
women,  and  children;  for  it  would 
appear  from  ch.  11.  14  that  the  cattle 
and  spoils  were  g:!  ven  to  the  conquer- 
ors. ^  As  he  did  unto  the  king  of 
Jericho.  How  he  had  dealt  with  this 
king  we  are  not  expressly  informed. 
Probably  he  had  been  first  slain,  and 
then  hanged  up,  as  was  the  king  of 


smote  it  with  the  edge  of  the 
sword,  and  all  the  souls  that 
were  therein  :  he  let  none  remain 
in  it ;  but  did  unto  the  king  there- 
of as  he  did  unto  the  king  of  Jer- 
icho. 

31  H  And  Joshua  passed  from 
Libnah,  and  all  Israel  with  him, 
unto  Lachish,  and  encamped 
against  it,  and  fought  against  it : 

32  And  the  Lord  delivered 
Lachish  into  the  hand  of  Israel, 
which  took  it  on  the  second  day 
and  smote  it  with  the  edge  of  the 
sword,  and  all  the  souls  that  were- 
therein,  according  to  all  that  he 
had  done  to  Libnah. 

33  IT  Then  Horam  king  of 
Gezer  came  up  to  help  Lachish  ; 


Ai  and  the  five  kings  here  mentioned. 

29.  And  all  Israel  u-ith  him.  That 
is,  all  of  Israel  that  had  been  engaged 
with  him  in  this  late  expeditiono. 
If  Unto  Libnah.  A  city  in  the  tribe 
of  Judah  near  its  western  border,  not 
far  from  Makkedah,  about  twelve 
miles  west  or  southwest  from  Jerusa- 
lem. It  was  afterwards  given  to  the 
priests,  ch.  21.  13.  Even  its  ruins 
have  now  disappeared. 

31.  Unto  Lachish.  Situated  a  few 
miles  directly  south  of  Libnah,  near 
the  western  limits  of  Judah.  It  was 
probably  a  strongly  fortified  place, 
as  Joshua  could  not  take  it  till  the 
second  day,  and  Sennacherib  after- 
wa  rds  was  obliged  to '  raise  the  siege.  *■ 
2  Kings,  19.  8.  Is.  37.  8.  Nothing  is 
here  said  of  the  king  of  Lachish,  as 
he  was  one  of  the  five  who  had  been 
executed  before. 

33.  Horam  king  of  Gezer.  There 
was  a  city  of  this  name  in  the  tribe 
of  Ephraim  twenty  miles  southwest 
of  Jerusalem,  ch.  16.  3,  10.  Judg. 
1.  19.  But  this  seems  too  remote 
from  the  scene  of  action.  The  prob- 
ability is,  that  it  was  some  place  in 
the  tribe  of  Judah  but  little  distant 


A.  C.  1451.]  CHAPTER  X. 

and  Joshua  smote  him  and  his 
people,  until  he  had  left  him  none 
remaining. 

34  ^  And  from  Lachish  Josh- 
ua passed  unto  Eglon,  and  all  Is- 
raei  with  him  :  and  they  en- 
camped against  it,  and  fought 
against  it : 

35  And  thejr  took  it  on  that 
day,  and  smote  it  with  the  edge 
of  the  sword,  and  all  the  souls 
that  ivere  therein  he  utterly  de- 
stroyed  that  day,  according  to 
all  that  he  had  done  to  Lachish. 

36  And  Joshua  went  up  from 


97 


from  Lachish,  the  king  of  which 
either  as  an  ally  of  the  king  of  La- 
chish, or  for  his  own  security,  offer- 
ed to  aid  in  resisting  the  further  pro- 
gress of  Joshua.  '  Thus  wicked  men 
are  often  snared  in  their  counsels, 
and,  by  opposing  God  in  the  way  of 
his  judgments,  bring  them  sooner 
upon  their  own  heads.'    Henry. 

34,  Unto  Eglon.  Another  city  of 
Judah,  near  to  Lachish,  and  fifteen 
miles  from  Jerusalem.    See  map. 

35,  Took  it  on  that  day.  The  same 
day  on  which  they  encamped  against 
it. 

36,  37.  Unto  Hebron — and  the  king 
thereof.  Probably  a  successor  to  him 
who  had  been  slain  and  hanged  be- 
fore, V.  23,  2().  The  rank  which 
this  city  evidently  held  among  its  sis- 
ter cities  doublless  made  it  important 
that,  in  such  a  crisis  as  the  present, 
anew  head  shoull  be  immediate f7 
appointed. — Though  now  taken,  the 
city  of  Hebron  seems  afterwards  to 
have  fallen  back  into  the  hands  of 
the  Canaanites,  which  made  it  ne- 
cessary for  Caleb  to  take  it  a  second 
time  as  related,  ch.  15.  14.  Judge,  L 
10.  The  case  appears  to  have  been 
the  same  in  regard  to  some  other  of 
the  places  captured  on  this  occasion. 
Judge,  1.  11 — 13.  The  reason  of  it 
was,  that  Joshua,  in  his  rapid  con- 

9* 


Eglon,  and  all  Israel  with  him, 
unto  ^Hebron  ;  and  they  fougiit 
against  it  : 

37  And  they  took  it,  and 
smote  it  with  the  edge  of  the 
sword,  and  the  king  thereof,  and 
all  the  cities  thereof,  atid  all  the 
souls  that  toere  therein  ;  he  left 
none  remaining  (according  to  all 
that  he  had  done  to  Eglon)  but 
destroyed  it  utterly,  atid  all  the 
souls  that  were  therein  : 

3S  IT  And  Joshua  returned, 
and  all  Israel  with  him,  to  fDc- 
bir  ;  and  fought  against  it. 

e  See  ch.  11   \X  *  15.  13.    Jud^.  1.  10.        f  See  eh. 
1  J.  13.    JuLlg.  1.  n. 

quests,  contented  himself  with  tak- 
ing, demolishing,  and  burning  those 
ciiies,  bat  did  not  garrison  any  of 
them  for  fear  of  weakening  his  army. 
The  scattered  Crinaanites  in  sever.'il 
instances  no  doubt  took  advantage  of 
this,  returned,  repeopled,  and  put 
in  a  state  of  defence,  the  cities 
from  which  they  had  been  expelled. 
Hence  the  Israelites  were  obliged  to 
conquer  them  a  second  time.  So  the 
Christian  in  his  spiritual  warfare 
finds  it  as  much  as  he  can  do  to  keep 
possession  of  the  ground  which  he 
has  once  gained.  His  old  enemies 
are  incessantly  returning  upon  him. 
His  battles  must  be  fought  and  his 
victories  achieved  anew.  The  lusts 
which  appeared  to  be  slain,  are  ever 
and  anon  giving  signs  that  they  still 
live;  and  are  intent  upon  regaining 
their  former  ascendancy.  Th's 
makes  it  dangerous  to  remit  our  acti- 
vity for  a  single  hour.  Constant  vigi- 
lance is  the  grand  condition  of  final 
triumph.  IT  All  the  cilice  thereof. 
The  cities  .subject  to  its  jurisdiction 
and  dependant  upon  it ;  so  that  Heb- 
ron was  properly  speaking  a  metro- 
polis, i.  e.  «  mother  city.  Such  too 
was  Gibeon,  spoken  of  above,  v.  2. 
ch.  9.  17. 

38.  And  Joskua  returned.   That  is 
turned  his  course,  began  to  march  in 


98 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  145L 


39  And  he  look  it,  and  the 
king  thereof,  and  all  the  cities 
thereof,  and  they  smote  them 
with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and 
utterly  destroyed  all  the  souls 
that  were  therein  ;  he  left  none 
remaining  :  as  he  had  done  to 
Hebron,  so  he  did  toDebir,  and  to 
the  king  thereof ;  as  he  had  done 
also  to  Libnah,  and  to  her  king. 

40  IF  So  Joshua  smote  all  the 


a  new  direction.  It  is  not  implied 
ihat  he  had  been  at  Debir  before; 
but  that  having  now  advanced  to  the 
southwest  as  far  as  he  thought  fit, 
even  as  far  as  Gaza,  v.  41,  he  turn- 
ed and  directed  his  course  towards 
Gilgal,  lying  to  the  northeast,  and 
fell  upon  Debir  on  his  way.  This 
city  was  in  the  tribe  of  Judab,  about 
thirty  miles  southwest  of  Jerusa- 
lem and  ten  miles  west  of  Hebron. 
It  was  also  called  Kirjath-Sepher, 
ch.  15.  15,  and  Kirjath-Sannah,  ch. 
15.  19,  perhaps  from  its  being  one 
of  the  seats  of  learning  among  the 
Canaanites;  the  name  Kirjath-Se- 
pher signifying  the  city  of  books  or  of 
letters.  The  Canaanites  having  sub- 
sequently retaken  it,  Caleb,  to  whom 
it  fell  by  lot,  gave  his  daughter  Ach- 
sah  in  marriage  to  Othniel  for  his 
bravery  in  having  carried  itby  storm, 
ch.  15. 16.  It  was  afierwards  given 
to  the  priests,  ch.  21.  15,  but  no  trace 
of  it  is  to  be  found  at  the  present 
time. 

40.  Smote  all  the  country  of  ike 
hills.  Overrun  as  a  conqueror',  sub- 
dued and  took  possession  of  all  the 
southern  section  of  Canaan,  famili- 
arly known  by  the  appellation  of 
*  Hahar,'  i.  e.  the  hill-country,  which 
subsequently  fell  to  the  lot  of  Judah. 
Of  this  mountainous  region  Burck- 
hardt  says,  the  whole  country  be- 
tween Tekoa  and  Hebron  is  finer 
and  better  cultivated  than  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Jerusalem;  while 
the  sides  of  the  hills,  instead  of  being 
naked  and  dreary,  are  richly  studded 


coimtry  of  the  liills,  and  of  the 
south,  and  of  the  vale,  and  of  the 
S[)ring.s,  and  all  their  kings:  he 
left  none  remaining,  but  utterly 
destroyed  all  that  breathed,  as 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel  ecom- 
manded. 

41  And  Joshua  smote  them 
from  Kadesh-barnea  even  unto 
^Gaza,  'and  all  the  country  of 
Goshen,  even  unto  Gibeon. 

g  De'it.  20.  16,  17.         h  Gen.  10.  19.        i  ch.  11.  16. 


with  the  oak,  the  arbutus,  the  Scotch 
fir,  and  a  variety  of  flowering  shrubs. 
Of  the  hitherto  unknown  tract  south 
of  Hebron,  Bankes,  Legh,  Irby  and 
Mangles  inform  us  that  three  days 
to  the  south  of  Hebron,  they  passed 
towards  the  Dead  Sea  through  a 
country  well  cultivated,  but  extreme- 
ly uninteresting :  eight  or  nine  miles 
beyond  Kerek  they  found  them- 
selves on  the  borders  of  an  extensive 
desert,  entirely  abandoned  to  the 
wandering  Bedouins,  A  tribe  of 
Jellaheen  Arabs  here  told  them,  that 
in  years  of  scarcity  they  were  accus- 
tomed to  retire  into  Eg^'pt.  The 
same  necessity  compelled  Jacob  to 
the  same  expedient :  and  the  custom 
seems  handed  down  from  the  patri- 
archs. See  Russell's  Palestim,  IT 
Of  the  south.  That  is,  of  Canaan, 
The  southern  part  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah  and  Idumea  were  designated 
bv  the  general  term,  the  south. 
Gen.  20.  1.  %  Of  the  vale.  Heb, 
'  the  low  country,"'  i.  e.  the  level 
champaign  on  the  Mediterranean 
sea.  extending  from  Joppa  to  the 
borders  of  Egypt.  Deut.  1.  7.  Judg, 
1.  9.  Jer.  17.  26.  IT  The  springs, 
Heb.  '  the  descents,'  i.  e.  probably 
the  slopes  or  declivities  of  mountains, 
tracts  formed  by  the  washing  down 
of  the  mountains,  and  so  capable  of 
cultivation.  See  Num.  21. 15.  Deut. 
3.  17.  IT  Destroyed  all  that  hreafh- 
ed.  That  is,  of  mankind;  for  they 
kept  the  cattle  for  spoil. 

41.  All  the  country  of  Goshen.   Not 
the  country  of  that  name  in  Egypt, 


A.  C.  1450.] 

42  And  all  these  kings  and 
their  land  did  Joshua  take  at  one 
time  ;  H)ecause  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel  fought  for  Israel. 

43  And  Joshua  returned,  and 
all  Israel  with  him,  unto  the  camp 
to  Gilgal. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

A  ND  it  came  to  pass,  when  Ja- 
bin  kinoj  of  Hazor  had  heard 


the  former  residence  of  the  Hebrews, 
but  a  place  so  called  in  Judah,  four- 
teen miles  south  of  Hebron,  ch.  11. 
16.— 15.  51. 

42,  At  one  time.  Heb.  'at  one 
turn,  or  one  stroke; '  i.  e.  in  one  un- 
interrupted course  of  vigorous  ac- 
tion ;  or,  as  we  should  say,  in  one 
campaign.  The  leading  idea  is  that 
from  the  time  Joshua  entered  upon 
this  career  of  victories  till  it  was 
closed  there  was  no  pause,  no  inter- 
mission, no  cessation.  IT  Because 
the  Lord  fought  for  Israel.  This 
clause  is  introduced  in  order  to  give 
credibility  to  the  foregoing  narra- 
tive. Viewed  in  any  other  light 
than  as  the  result  of  omnipotence, 
such  a  tide  of  victories  would  natu- 
rally stagger  all  belief. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

1.  Jabin  king  of  Hazor.  After 
the  very  remarkable  reduction  of 
the  southern  parts  of  Canaan,  re- 
lated in  the  foregoing  chapter,  the 
kings  of  the  north  becoming  appre- 
hensi\''e  for  their  safety,  are  here 
presented  in  the  act  of  making  a 
common  interest  and  uniting  with 
Jabin  to  put  a  stop  to  ;the  further 
progress  of  the  Israelites.  Jabin 
was  probably  the  common  name  of 
all  the  kings  of  Hazor,  as  we  find 
that  the  king  by  whom  the  Israelites 
were  afterwards  kept  in  bondage  for 
twenty  years  and  who  was  defeated 
by  Deborah  and  Barak,  was  so  call- 
ed.   The  name  signifies  'wiie  or  i?*- 


CHAPTER  XI. 


99 


those  things,  that  he  "sent  to  Jo- 
bab  king  of  Madon,  and  to  the 
king  i^of  Shimron,  and  to  the  king 
of  Achshaph, 

2  And  to  the  kings  that  were 
on  the  north  of  the  mountams, 
and  of  the  plains  south  of  "^Cinne- 
roth,  and  in  the  valley,  and  in 
the  borders  '^of  Dor  on  the  west, 

3  And  to  the  Canaanite  on  the 
east  and  on  the  west,  and  to  the 

aCh.  10.  3.     bch.  19,  1.5.     cNum.  34.  U.    dcli.  17- 
11.    Judg.  1.27      1  Km.  i.n. 


telligent.  Hazor  was  a  strong  city 
on  the  west  side  of  the  waters  of 
Merom,  or  lake  Samechonitis,  and 
the  capital  of  northern  Canaan.  In 
the  distribution  of  the  land  it  fell  to 
the  tribe  of  Naphtali.  It  Avas  in 
subsequent  times  frequently  the  seat 
of  war,  but  not  a  ruin  now  remains 
to  mark  the  place  where  it  stood. 
^^  Madon.  The  position  of  this  city 
is  unknown.  It  was  doubtless  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  others  here 
mentioned.  H  Shimron.  Called 
also  Shimron-Meron,  ch.  12.  10.  It 
fell  afterwards  to  the  lot  of  Zebulon, 
and  was  situated  about  eleven  miles 
to  the  northeast  of  Nazareth.  ir 
Achshaph.  Situated  in  the  tribe  of 
Asher,  near  the  confines  of  Zebulon. 
It  was  reduced  to  a  small  village, 
called  Chasalus,  in  the  time  of  Jer- 
ome, at  the  close  of  the  fourth  cen- 
tury, but  is  now  entirely  swept 
away. 

2.  That  were  on  the  north  of  the 
mountains.  Heb. '  from  the  north  in 
the  mountain,'  i.  e.  residing  in  the 
mountainous  region  of  the  north,  the 
tract  of  Anti-Libanus.  IT  The  plains 
south  of  Cinneroth.  Heb. 'plain.'  An 
ancient  city  belonging  afterwards 
to  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  and  suppos- 
ed to  have  occupied  the  same  site 
with  the  more  modern  Tiberias. 
From  this  city  or  village,  the  sea  of 
Chinneroth,  or  Gennesareth,  prob- 
ably had  its  name.  From  the  origi- 
nal it  is  not  perfectly  clear  whether 
the  plain  spoken  of  lay  to  the  south 


100 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1450. 


Amorite,  and  the  Htttite,  and  the 
Perizzitc,  and  the  Jebnsite  in  the 
nnountains,  «and  to  the  Hivite  un- 
der Ulermon  ?in  the  land  of 
Mizpeh. 

4  And  they   went  out,  they 
and  all  their   hosts  with  them, 

e  Judg.  3.  3.        fch.  13.  11.        g  Gen.  31- 49. 


much  people,  '^even  as  the  sand 
that  is  upon  the  sea-sliore  in  mul^ 
titufle,  with  horses  ai.d  chariots 
very  many. 

5  And  when  all  these  kings 
were  met  together,  they  came 
and  pitched  together  at  the  wa- 

h  Gen.  22.  17.  i  32.  12.     Julg.  7.  12.     I  Sam.  13  5. 


of  Chinneroth,  or  Chinneroth  to  the 
south  of  that.     In  the  former  case,  it 
would  seem  to  have  been  the  plain 
of  the  Jordan,  which  we  think  less 
likely.        IT  In  the  valley.     In   the 
low  or  valley  tracts  generally,  in 
contradistinction  from  the  mountain- 
ous points  which  were  inhabited. 
II  The  borders  of  Dor.     This  was  a 
place  on  the  coast  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean, about  nine  miles  north  of  Ce- 
sarea  Palestine,  and  at  a  little  dis- 
tance from  mount  Carmel.    A  small 
village,  called  Tortura,  is  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  the  ruins  of  the  ancient 
town  containing  forty  or  fifty  houses. 
3.    The  CoMaanite  on  the  East,  &c. 
The  Canaaniies,  properly  so  called, 
dwell  part  of  them  in  the  east  near 
Jordan,  and  part  on  the  west  near 
the  sea ;  both  are  here  united.        IT 
The  Hiviie  under  Herman.     At  the 
foot  of  mount  Hermon;  of  which 
mountain  see  on  Deut.  3.  9.     They 
are  designated  in  this  way  to  distin- 
guish them  from  another  portion  of 
the  same  race  dwelling  at  Gibeon,  of 
whom    we    have    already    spoken. 
IT  In  the  land  of  Mizpeh.     That  is, 
the  land  of  watching  or  espial,  so  call- 
ed from  its  commanding  an  exten- 
sive prospect   of  the    sarrounding 
country,  from  which  the  approach 
or  movements  of  an  enemy  might  be 
discovered.     There    were    several 
places  of  this  name,  but  reference  is 
here  undoubtedly  had  to  that  lying 
in  the  northern  quarter  of  Gilead, 
where  Laban  and  Jacob  made  their 
covenant,  as  related  Gen.  31.  48.  49. 
4,  And  they  went  out.     Took  the 
field ;  a  phrase  frequently  employed 
by  the  sacred  writers  for' going  forth 
v/pon  a  military  expedition.     Thus 
3  Sam.  11.1,'  and  it  came  to  pass — 


at  the  time  when  kings  go  forth,'  i.  e. 
to  battle,  as  our  version  rightly  un- 
derstands it,  Comp,  Num.  21.  23, 
Job  39.  21.  IT  As  the  sand  that  is 
upon  the  sea-shore.  A  proveibial  ex- 
pression used  to  denote  a  vast  but  in- 
definite number — a  number  of  which' 
no  accurate  estimate  could  be  for.ned, 
Josephus,  upon  what  authority  we 
know  not,  is  more  particular.  He 
states  the  number  at  300,000  foot, 
10,000  horse,  and  20,000  chario:s  of 
war.  Whether  this  be  correct  or  not, 
the  words  of  the  text  lead  us  to  infer 
that  a  vast  population  now  occupied 
the  land  of  promise,  and  that  the  soil 
must  have  been  of  exuberant  fertil- 
ity to  sustain  it.  The  immense  mul- 
titude moreover  of  the  enemy  went 
to  heighten  the  glory  of  Joshua's  vic- 
tory. IT  With  horses  and  chariots 
very  many.  Heb.  '  horse  and  char- 
iot very  much.'  The  horses  were 
probably  brought  out  of  Egypt  or  Ar- 
menia and  not  bred  in  Canaan,  which 
was  not  a  country  favorable  to  their 
production  or  use.  Deut.  17.  16.  1 
Kings,  10.  28,  29.  The  war  chari- 
ots of  the  Canaanices  are  supposed 
to  have  been  armed  with  iron  scythes- 
fastened  to  the  poles  and  to  the  ends 
of  the  axle-trees.  When  furiously 
driven  they  would  make  fearful 
havoc  in  the  ranks  of  infantry — ot 
which  only  were  the  forces  of  Israel 
composed — mowing  them  down  like 
grass.  In  view  therefore  of  such 
a  formidable  armament  mustered 
against  him,  Joshua  receives  from 
the  Lord  a  special  encouragement 
and  promise  of  success. 

5.  Were  Viet  together.  Heb. 'were 
assembled  by  appointment.'  In  pur- 
suance of  previous  arrangements. 
Chal.  '  met  at  a  time  agreed  upon.'' 


A.  C.  1450.] 


CHAPTER  XI. 


101 


ters  of  Merom,  to  fight  against 
Israel. 

6  IF  And  the  Lord  said  unto 


IT  At  the  waters  of  Merom.  Gener- 
ally understood  of  the  lake  Semechon 
or  Samechonitis  lying  between  the 
head  of  the  river  Jordan  and  the  lake 
of  Gennesaret.  The  name  imports 
'highness,'  and  is  supposed  to  be  so 
called  because  its  waters  were  high- 
er than  those  of  the  sea  of  Galilee. 
The  Arabic  Samaka^  from  which 
Semechon  is  derived,  has  the  same 
import.  It  is  situated  in  a  valley  and 
is  now  called  Bahhrat  el-Hhule^  i.  e. 
the  lake  of  the  valley,  a  valley  formed 
by  the  two  branches  of  mount  Her- 
mon.  In  summer  the  lake  is  for  the 
most  part  dry,  and  covered  with 
shrubs  and  grass,  in  which  lions, 
bears,  and  other  wild  beasts  conceal 
themselves. 

6.  Shall  hough  their  horses.  That 
is,  hamstring  them,  cut  the  sinews  of 
their  legs.  On  the  effects  of  such  a 
treatment  of  these  animals  Mich- 
aelis  remarks,  that  'from  ignorance 
of  military  affairs,  most  expositors 
have  understood  this  command,  as 
if  it  meant,  not  that  the  horses  should 
be  killed,  but  merely  lamed  in  their 
hind  legs,  and  then  let  go.  But  a 
horse  so  treated,  must,  instead  of  run- 
ning off,  fall  instantly  backwards, 
and  writhe  about  miserably  till  he 
die,  which  generally  happens  from 
loss  of  blood,  by  the  stroke  of  the 
sabre  cutting  the  artery  of  the  thigh. 
This  is  still,  as  military  people  have 
since  informed  me,  the  plan  adopted 
to  make  those  horses  that  are  taken, 
but  cannot  be  easily  brought  away, 
unserviceable  to  the  enemy  again. 
They  hamstring  them,  which  can  be 
done  in  an  instant ;  and  they  gener- 
ally die  of  the  wound  by  bleeding  to 
death  ;  but  though  they  should  not, 
the  wound  never  heals ;  so  that  even 
if  the  enemy  recover  them  alive,  he 
is  forced  to  dispatch  them :  and 
every  compassionate  friend  of  horses, 
who  has  ever  seen  one  in  that  situa- 
tion, will  do  so  in  order  to  terminate 
hisi  misery,    There  is,  no  foimda- 


Joshua,  'Be  not  afraid  because 
of  them  :  for  to-morrow  about 
this  time  will  I  deliver  them  up 

i  Cli.  10.  8. 

tion,  for  Kimchi's  opinion,  that  mere 
laming  was  enjoined,  because  it 
would  be  wrong  to  put  an  animal  un- 
necessarily to  death.  For  thus  to 
lame  a  horse  that  would  still  live,  in 
my  opinion,  would  rather  have  been 
exJtreme  cruelty ;  because,  being  then 
useless,  nobody  would  be  likely  to 
give  him  any  food.'  (Comment,  on 
Laws  of  Moses,  Art  LXIV.)  The 
reasons  for  prescribing  such  a  treat- 
ment probably  were  ( 1)  Because  God 
would  have  his  people  act  upon  the 
resolution  expressed  by  the  Psalmist, 
Ps.  20.  7, '  Some  trust  in  chariots  and 
some  in  horses ;  but  we  will  remem- 
ber the  name  of  the  Lord  our  God.' 
If  horses  had  been  in  common  use 
among  them,  they  would  have  been 
apt  to  rely  upon  them  instead  of  trust- 
ing to  the  aid  of  omnipotence  in 
achieving  their  conquests.  But 
God's  design  was  to  cut  them  off 
from  human  resources,  and  by  ena- 
bling a  company  of  raw  and  inexpe- 
rienced footmen  to  rout  powerful 
bodies  of  cavalry,  to  secure  the  glory 
of  the  victory  to  his  own  right  arm, 
to  which  only  it  was  due.  (2)  Be- 
cause horses  were  a  kind  of  useless 
plunder  to  the  Israelites.  From  the 
nature  of  the  country  they  could  not 
well  be  employed  for  purposes  of  ag- 
riculture. In  that  rough  and  moun- 
tainous land  oxen  and  asses  could 
be  employed  to  much  greater  advan- 
tage ;  and  as  to  travelling,  it  was 
never  designed  that  the  Israelites 
should  be  a  travelling  people.  They 
were  to  be  an  agricultural  and  not  a 
commercial  race.  They  were  to  live 
apart  from  other  nations  as  a  reli- 
gious community.  Their  stated 
journeys  to  Jerusalem  to  attend  upon 
the  religious  festivals  would  be  about 
all  the  travelling  that  would  be  ne- 
cessary, and  this  on  their  rough  roads 
could  be  better  performed  on  foot  or 
on  asses  than  on  horses.  Such  of 
these  animals  therefore  as  they  took 
in  war  could  be  of  no  use  to  them, 


10^ 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1450, 


all  slain  before  Israel :  thou  shall 
khouuh  their  horses,  and  burn 
their  chariots  with  fire. 

7  So  Joshua  came,  and  all  the 
people  of  war  with  him,  against 
them  by  the  waters  of  Merom 
suddenly,  and  they  fell  upon 
them. 

8  And  the  Lord  delivered 
them  into  the  hand  of  Israel,  who 
smote  them,  and  chased  them  un- 
to great  Zidon,  and  unto  iMisre- 
phothmann,  and  unto  the  valley 

K  2  Sam.  8.  4.        1  ch   13.  6 

unless  they  sold  them,  and  this  would 
not  be  wise,  as  they  might  finally 
have  come  round  again  into  the  hands 
of  their  rnemies.  The  true  policy 
accordingly  was  to  diminish  as  far 
as  possible  this  race  of  animals,  which 
might  give  their  enemies  a  signal  ad- 
vantage, and  in  this  policy  we  sup- 
pose the  present  order  to  have  origin- 
ated. 

7.  Suddenly.  The  great  feature 
of  Joshua's  military  operations  ap- 
pears to  have  been  dispatch.  In  the 
celerity  of  his  movements  he  seems 
to  have  equalled  the  most  renowned 
generals  whether  of  ancient  or  mod- 
ern times.  Being  now  apprized  of 
this  grand  combination  of  the  north- 
em  kings,  he  loses  no  time,  but  by  a 
forced  march,  and  before  they  could 
have  supposed  him  at  hand,  comes 
suddenly  upon  them  and  puts  them 
to  the  rout. 

8.  Unto  great  Zidon.  A  well 
known  city  of  Ancient  Phenicia,  si- 
tuated on  the  east  coast  of  the  Medi- 
terranean, about  tweniy-five  miles 
north  of  Tyre,  fifty  south  of  Berytus 
(Beyroot),  and  sixty-six  west  of  Da- 
mascus. Us  modern  name  is  Said. 
The  epilhet  n2^)  great^  here  affixed 
to  it,  is  expressive  of  number  rather 
than  o^  size,  and  implies  not  only  its 
fopulousness^hwi  the  extent  and  vari- 
ety of  its  resources  of  every  kind. 
^  MLsrephot/i-maim.  Or,  Heb.  *  Mis- 
repoth  of  the  waters,'  i.  e.  the  hirn- 
ings  of  the  waters ;  but  whether  so 


of  Mizpeh  eastward  ;  and  they 
smote  them  until  they  left  them 
none  remaining. 

9  And  Joshua  did  unto  them 
•"as  the  LoKD  bade  liirn :  he 
houghed  their  horses,  and  burnt 
their  chariots  with  fire. 

10  IT  And  Joshua  at  that  time 
turned  back,  and  took  Hazor,. 
and  smote  the  king  thereof  with 
the  sword  :  for  Hazor  before- 
time  was  the  head  of  all  those 
kingdoms. 


called  from  its  being  noted  for  hot 
springs,  or  the  manufacture  ot  glass, 
or  of  salt,  each  of  which  has  been 
conjectured,  or    from   some    other 
cause,  it  is  not  possible  to  determine. 
It  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  place 
on  the  sea  coast,  about  three  miles 
north  of  Sidon.        *{{  Valley  of  Miz- 
peh.   Under  mount  Hermon,  as  ap- 
pears by  comparing  this  with  v.  3- 
and   17,  in  the  latter  of  which  it  ap- 
pears to  be  called  the  valley  of  Leba- 
non.   This  place  lay  on  the  east,  as 
Sidon  did  on  the  west,  so  that  the 
vanquished  enemy  fled  in  two  differ- 
ent directions,  in  both  of  which  they 
were  pursued   by  the    conquerors. 
IT  Until  they  left  them  none  remaining. 
From  other  portions  of  the  history^ 
it  is  plain  thai  this  language  here  and 
elsewhere,  is  not  to  be  construed  in 
its  most  literal  import.     Numbers  of 
the    Canaanites    did    undoubtedly 
escape  the  sword  of  the  Israelites, 
and  fled  to  Zidon,  Tyre  and  other, 
maritime  cities ;   and  even  here  it 
appears,  that  Jabin  escaped  with  his 
life  from  the  battle.     But  the  drift  of 
the  words  is  to  intimate,  that  they  left 
none  alive  who  fell  into  their  hands, 
whomsoever    they  encountered    or 
overtook  they  slew. 

10.  Hazor — loas  the  head,  &c.  Not 
of  all  Canaan,  but  of  those  northern 
principalities  which  were  combined 
in  this  expedition  against  Israel. 
This  city,  however,  afterwards  re- 
covered itself,  and  grievously  op- 


A.  C. 


1450.] 


CHAPTER  XL 


103 


11  And  they  smote  all  the 
souls  that  were  therein  with  the 
edge  of  the  swoid,  utterly  de- 
stroying ihem:  there  was  not 
any  left  lo  breathe  :  and  he  burnt 
Hazor  with  fire. 

12  And  all  the  cities  of  those 


kings,  and  all  the  ki  gsofthem, 
did  Joshua  take,  and  sniDte  them 
with  the  edge  of  tiie  sword,  and 
he  utterly  destroyed  them,  "as 
Moses  the  servant  of  tliu  Lord 
commanded 

13  But  a?  /or  the  cities  that 

n  Num.  33.  52.      MeJt.  7.  2   &  --0.  IC,  17. 


pressed  the  people  of  Israel^  Judg. 
4.  2. 

11.  t<ot  any  left  to  breathe,  Heb. 
■"  noi  any  breath ;'  i.  e.  not  any  human 
being.  IT  He  burnt  Hazor  loithfire. 
Comp.  V.  13,  It  is  not  said  express- 
ly of  the  Israelites,  in  this  part  of  the 
narrative,  that  they  burnt  any  city  ; 
whatever,  as  such  a  statement  might  j 
give  rise  to  the  impression  that,  in 
the  ardor  of  military  zeal,  they  were 
guilty  of  excesses,  and  in  the  spirit 
of  a  licentious  soldiery,  were  eager 
to  apply  the  torch  to  the  devoted 
cities.  On  the  contrary,  the  act  is 
attributed  to  Joshua,  implying  that  it 
was  done  calmly  and  deliberately, 
and  in  all  likelihood  by  divine  direc- 
tion. The  phraseology  is  so  con- 
structed as  to  give  a  striking  testi- 
mony to  the  moderation  and  self-con- 
trol of  the  armies  of  the  Most  High. 

12.  Utterly  destroyed  them.  That 
is,  the  persons,  the  inhabitants ;  for 
many  of  the  cities  themselves,  as  well 
as  the  spoils  which  they  contained, 
were  preserved,  as  we  learn  in  the 
ensuing  verse. 

13.  The  cities  that  stood  still  in 
their  strength.  Heb.  tj^ri  bS'  m^iT 
standing  upon.,  or  by  their  heaps. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  point  out 
any  single  expression  in  the  whole 
book  of  Joshua,  perhaps  in  the 
whole  Scriptures,  more  difficult  of 
explanation  than  this.  The  exact 
literal  version  of  the  words  we  have 
given  above ;  but  our  common  trans- 
lation has  followed  the  Chaldee  para- 
pharase  in  rendering  the  Heb.  Vp, 
by  '  strength,'  a  sense  which  it  has' in 
no  other  instance,  that  we  can  dis- 
cover in  the  compass  of  the  sacred 
writings.     Its  prevailing  and  legiti- 

,         mate  import  is  a  '  heap  of  ruins.' 


Thus  Deut.  13. 16.  in  reference  to  the 
city  which  had  become  the  seat  of 
idolatry  ;  '  Thou  shalt  gather  £.11  the 
spoil  of  it  into  the  midst  of  the  streel 
thereof,  and  shalt  burn  with  fire  the 
city,  and  all  the  spoil  ihercof  lor  the 
Lord  thy  God;  and  it  shell  be  an 
heap  (Vr-)  forever;    it  sh:.ll  not  be 
built  again.'  Josh.  8. 28,  '  And  Josh- 
ua burnt  Ai,  and  made  it  an  heap 
(bp)  forever,  even  a  desolation  imto 
this  day.'    Jer.  49.  2,  '  I  will  cause 
an  alarm  of  war  to  be  heard  in  Kab- 
bah of  the  Ammonites,  and  it  shall 
be  a  desolnte  heap,  (r  ■■272"'5  "::ir))3iid 
her  daughters  shall  be  burned  with 
fire.'    Jer.  30.  18,  '  The  city  shiU  be 
builded  upon  her  own  hca-p  {r'lr)  ;' 
i.  e.  upon  its  own  ruins.     These  ex- 
amples show  the  genuine  force  of  the 
word.  The  mass  of  expositors,  how- 
ever, from  the  affinity  oC  he  ideas  of 
a  heap  of  ruiris  and  an  eminence,  or 
elevation  of  any  kind,  and  not  know- 
ing what  to   understand    by  cities 
'standing  upon  their  ruinous^  heaps,' 
have  been  led  to  interpret  it  of  cities 
standing  upon  hills,  or  reeky  heights, 
forming  natural  fortresses' of  great 
strength,  and  such  as  the  Israelites 
chose  to  retain  for  their  own  use. 
To  this  solution  we  should  have  no- 
thing to  object  were  it  wari anted  by 
the  native  import  of  the  term ;  but 
we  are  persuaded  it  is  no^     The 
true  rendering  isunquestionablv  that 
which  we  have  given,  .-^nd  a  consis- 
tent sense  is  to  be  sought  for  the 
phrase.    From  an  attentive  compa- 
rison of  the  context,  it  appears  that 
the  kings  andtheinhsbitants  of  these 
cities  were  all  put  to  the  sword,  while 
the  cattle  and  the  spoil  generally  went 
into  the  hands  of  the  c.Fptors.    Dur- 
ing the  time,  therefore,  of  the  actual 


104 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1450. 


stood  still  in  their  strength,  Israel 
burned  none  ofthem,  save  Hazor 
only  :  that  did  Joshua  burn. 

14  And  all  the  spoil  of  these 
cities,  and  the  cattle,  the  children 
of  Israel  took  for  a  prey  unto 
themselves  :  but  every  man  they 
smote  with  the  edge  of  the  sword, 
until  they  had  destroyed  them, 
neither  left  they  any  to  breathe. 

15  IT  °  As  the  Lord  command, 
ed  Moses  his  servant,  so  pdid  Mo- 
ses  command  Joshua,  and  "Jso  did 
Joshua  :  he  left  nothing  undone 

oEx.  34.    11,12.        pDeur.  7.  2.        q  ch   1.7. 


occurrence  of  these  events,  the  cities 
in  question  must  have  presented  a 
fearful  scene  of  carnage  and  desola- 
lation.  Heaps  of  lifeless  bodies  and 
of  gathered  spoil  would  be  accumu- 
lated in  the  streets,  and  wherever 
such  a  complete  conquest  and  pillage 
could  be  easily  effected  without  de- 
molishing the  walls,  buildings,  or 
fortifications  of  the  cities,  those  cities 
might  be  said  to  '  stand  still,  or  con- 
tinue to  stand  upon,  over,  or  by  their 
ruinous  heaps,'  i.  e.  heaps  of  the 
slain  and  heaps  of  spoil.  This  doubt- 
less was  the  case  in  numerous  instan- 
ces. It  was  not  absolutely  necessary 
to  raze  and  burn  all  the  cities,  and 
so  many  of  them  were  spared ;  but 
Hazor  being  the  head  of  the  confed- 
eracy and  more  guilty  than  the  rest 
was  properly  made  an  exception  and 
utterly  destroyed.  IT  Save  Hazor 
only.  As  this  city  had  begun  the  war, 
and  from  its  being  a  royal  residence 
and  strongly  fortified  might,  if  it 
should  fall  back  into  the  hands  of  the 
Canaaniles,  possess  peculiar  facili- 
ties for  renewing  and  carrying  it  on 
afresh,  Joshua  deemed  it  prudent  to 
guard  against  all  danger  from  that 
quarter  by  demolishing  it  altogether. 
—  So  the  Christian,  if  he  finds  his 
spiritual  enemies  likely  to  entrench 
themselves  in  any  particular  corrup- 
tion or  infirmity  of  his  nature,  and 
thence  to  make  violent  inroads  upon 


of  all  that  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses. 

16  So  Joshua  took  all  that 
land,  ""the  hills,  and  all  the  south 
country,  »and  all  the  land  of  Go- 
shen,  and  the  valley,  and  the 
plain,  and  the  mountain  of  Israel, 
and  the  valley  of  the  same  ; 

17  ^Even  from  the  mount  Ha. 
lak,  that  goeth  up  to  Seir,  even 
unto  Baal-gad,  in  the  valley  of 
Lebanon  under  mount  Hermon  : 
and  "all  their  kings  he  took,  and 
smote  them,  and  slew  them. 


r  Ch.  12.  8.        8  ch.  10.  41. 
24.     ch.  12.  7. 


his  peace,  is  bound  at  all  hazards,  by 
crucifying  such  a  lust,  to  deprive 
them  of  this  advantage.  If  they  can 
be  dislodged  from  their  strong  hold 
in  no  other  way,  let  him  destroy  the 
strong  hold  itself. 

14.  All  the  spoil  of  these  cities — 
Israel  took.  With  the  exception  of 
such  things  as  had  been  employed 
for  idolatrous  purposes,  Deui.  7.  25. 

15.  As  the  Lord  commanded  Moses, 
&c.  A  virtual  vindication  of  the 
Israelites  from  the  charge  of  cruelty 
which  might  possibly  be  brought 
against  them  in  view  of  the  severi- 
ties exercised  towards  these  van- 
quished kings  and  people  of  Canaan. 
^  He  left  nothing  undone.  Or,  Heb, 
'removed,  rejected,  diminished  noth- 
ing.' 

16.  The  mountain  of  Israel  and 
the  valley  of  the  same.  Not  any  par- 
ticular mountain  and  valley,  but  the 
mountains  and  valleys  generally  in- 
cluded in  the  whole  extent  of  the 
land  of  Israel. 

17.  From  the  Mount  Halak.  That 
is,  Heb.  '  the  bare,  smooth,  or  bald 
mountain,'  so  called  from  its  being 
destitute  of  trees.  The  writer's  de- 
sign seems  to  be  to  specify  the  ex- 
treme southern  and  northern  limits 
of  the  promised  land.  Joshua's  con- 
quests extended  from  the  borders  of 
Seir  or  Edom,  where  Mount  Halak 
was  situated,  northward  to  Baal-gad, 


A.  C.  1450.] 

18  Joshua  made  war  a  long 
time  with  all  those  kings. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


105 


which  lies  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Leb- 
anon. 

18.  Joshua  made  loar  a  long  time. 
Heb.  'many  days.'  As  many  at 
least  as  six  or  seven  years ;  as  ap- 
pears from  comparing  ch.  14. 7 — 10  ; 
the  first  having  been  occupied  in  the 
conquest  of  the  southern  portion  of 
the  land,  and  the  remaining  five  or 
six  in  that  of  the  northern.  It  would 
§eem  that  the  writer  by  inserting 
this  statement  here  designed  to 
guard  the  reader  against  the  im- 
pression that,  as  the  record  of  these 
wars  is  very  brief,  so  the  space  of 
time  in  which  they  were  accomplish- 
ed was  also  brief.  This  by  no 
means  follows,  as  the  present  ac- 
count is  intended  as  a  mere  rapid 
sketch  or  outline  of  Israel's  victo- 
ries over  the  nations  of  Canaan.  In 
the  sacred  writings  the  compass  of 
a  few  sentences  often  contains  the 
events  of  many  years. — We  may 
not  perhaps  be  able  to  state  all  the 
reasons  that  weighed  in  the  divine 
mind  for  thus  prolonging  the  war- 
fare of  his  people,  but  of  one  we  are 
assured  by  God  himself,  Deut.  7. 22. 
'  The  Lord  thy  God  will  put  out 
those  nations  before  thee  by  little 
and  little  ;  thou  may  est  not  consume 
them  at  once,  lest  the  beasts  of  the 
field  increase  upon  thee.'  In  addition 
to  this,  it  was  no  doubt  the  purpose 
of  heaven  to  try  the  faith  and  pa- 
tience of  his  people  by  a  long  series 
of  arduous  struggles.  Although  the 
commencement  of  the  work  was 
marked  by  a  succession  of  wonder- 
ful interpositions  in  their  behalf, 
yet  in  its  progress  they  were  to  be 
left  more  to  their  personal  exertions. 
God  would  not  make  his  miraculous 
aid  too  cheap  in  their  eyes  by  mak- 
ing it  common.  He  would  train 
them  to  a  course  of  the  most  vigor- 
ous efforts  on  their  part,  while  at  the 
same  time  they  were  taught  their 
continual  dependance  on  "him  for 
success  in  their  conflicts.  This  ib 
in  beautiful  analogy  with  the  war- 
fare of  the  Christian.  In  its  com- 
10 


19  There  was  not  a  city  that 
made  peace  with  the  children  of 

mencement,  at  the  outset  of  the 
Christian  life,  the  power  of  God  is 
no  less  wonderfully  displayed  than 
in  the  history  before  us.  The  tran- 
sition of  a  soul  from  darkness  to 
light  is  virtually  a  miracle.  It  is 
effected  by  the  sovereign  power  of 
God  as  really,  and  to  the  sinner's 
consciousness  in  many  instances  as 
marvellously,  as  the  passage  of  Is- 
rael througti  the  cloven  waters  of 
Jordan.  But  in  its  progress,  the 
work  is  carried  forward  more  ap- 
propriately by  his  own  actings.  He 
has  the  armor  given  him,  but  his 
own  activity  is  called  forth  in  the 
use  of  it.  His  whole  life  is  to  be  a 
state  of  warfare,  and  it  is  by  hard 
fighting  that  he  is  to  obtain  the  vic- 
tory. No  one  enemy  will  submit 
to  him  without  an  obstinate  resis- 
tance, nor  until  violently  smitten 
with  the  sword  of  the  Spirit.  There 
will  be  some  seasons  of  more  than 
ordinary  conflict,  when  he  will 
need  peculiar  succor  from  on  high  ; 
and  there  will  be  other  seasons  of 
comparative  rest ;  but  there  is  no 
entire  discharge  in  this  war  till  mor- 
tality is  swallowed  up  of  life  ;  and 
then  he  shall  enjoy  the  fruit  of  his 
victories  in  everlasting  rest. 

19.  Not  a  city  that  made  peace — 
save  the  Hivites,  &c.  Although  in 
the  commands  given  to  Moses  res- 
pecting the  extirpation  of  the  Ca- 
naan ites  we  have  no  express  intima- 
tion that  any  of  them  were  to  be 
spared  upon  their  voluntary  sur- 
render and  submission,  yet  from 
the  example  of  Rahab  and  the  Gib- 
eonites,  and  especially  from  these 
words,  the  presumption  is,  that  this 
was  the  case.  The  divine  laws, 
wherever  it  can  be  done  without 
compromising  the  interests  of  jus- 
tice, always  lean  to  the  side  of  mer- 
cy. Besides,  it  has  been  justly  re- 
marked, that  the  reason  of  the  law 
is  the  law.  The  evil  designed  to 
be  prevented  by  the  order  for  the 
universal  destruction  ofthe  Canaan- 
ites,  was  the  infecting  of  the  Israel- 


106 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1450- 


Israel,  save  *the  Hivites,  the  in- 
habitants of  Gibeon  :  all  other 
ihey  took  in  battle. 

20  For  yit  was  of  the  Lord 
to  harden  their  hearts,  that  they 
should  come  against  Israel  in 
battle,  that  he  might  destroy 
them    utterly,    and    that    they 

xch9.  3,  7.      yDeui.2.  30.     Judg.  14.  4.     1  Sam. 
2.  2-5.     1  Kiu.  12.  15.     Rom.  9.  18. 


ites  with  their  idolatry,  Deut.  7.  4. 
But  if  these  devoted  nations  re- 
nounced their  idolatry,  and  came 
heartily  into  the  interest  of  Israel, 
the  danger  was  effectually  prevent- 
ed, the  reason  of  the  law  ceased,  and 
consequently,  we  may  suppose,  the 
obligation  ceased  also.  But  the 
Canaanites  in  general  were  not  in 
the  least  disposed  to  do  this,  nor  did 
they  so  much  as  propose  terms  of 
accommodation.  Of  the  cause  or 
occasion  rather,  of  this  utter  infat- 
uation, we  are  informed  in  the  en- 
duing verse.  V  All  other  they  took 
in  battle.  That  is,  all  whom  they 
did  lake,  they  took  in  battle.  They 
received  none  upon  submission.  Lt 
is  certain  from  other  parts  of  the 
sacred  narrative  thai  the  Canaanites 
were  neither  utterly  exterminated, 
nor  absolutely  driven  from  their  set- 
tlements either  by  Joshua  or  his 
immediate  successors.  On  the  con- 
trary a  large  proportion  of  them  fled, 
it  is  supposed,  to  Tyre  and  Zi- 
don  and  thence  migrated  into  dis- 
tant countries,  particularly  Africa, 
where  they  established  numerous 
and  flourishing  colonies.  Proco- 
pius  relates  that  the  Phoenicians 
ned  before  the  Hebrews  into  Africa, 
and  spread  themselves  abroad  as  far 
as  the  pillars  of  Hercules,  and  adds, 
'  In  Numidia,  where  now  stands  the 
city  Tigris  (Tangiers)  they  have 
erected  two  columns,  on  which,  in 
Phoenician  characters,  is  the  follow- 
ing inscription  : — '  We  are  the  Phce- 
Bicians  who  fled  from  the  face  of 
Jesus  (or  Joshua)  the  son  of  Nave 
(Nun).'  Numbers,  however,  yet 
remained  to  dispute,  for   ages,  the 


might  have  no  favour,  but  that 
he  might  destroy  them,  ^as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses. 

21  If  And  at  that  time  came 
Joshua  and  cut  off  nhe  Anakims 
from  the  mountains,  from  He- 
bron, from  Debir,  from  A  nab, 
and  from  all  the  mountains  of  Ju- 

z  Deut.  20.  16,  17.      a  Num.  13.  22, 33.    Deut.  1.  28. 
ch.  15.  13,  14. 


possession  of  the  land  with  their  in- 
vaders, 

20.  It  was  of  the  Lord  to  harden 
their  hearts.  On  the  subject  of  God's 
hardening  the  hearts  of  men,  see 
note  on  Ex.  ch.  4.  21.  The  mean- 
ing here  is  simply  that  having  sin- 
ned for  a  long  tract  of  ages  against 
the  light  of  conscience  and  provi- 
dence, God  was  now  pleased  to  leave 
them  to  2l  judicial  hardness  of  heart, 
to  give  them  up  to  vain  confidence, 
pride,  stubbornness,  and  malignit)'-, 
that  ihey  might  bring  upon  them- 
selves his  righteous  vengeance  and 
be  utterly  destroyed.  This  result 
is  said  to  be  'of  or  from  the  Lord,' 
because  he  did  not  interpose  to 
prevent  it,  IT  ^5  the  Lord  com- 
manded  Moses.  This  expression 
occurs  here  and  elsewhere  in  this 
connection,  v.  15,  'to  show  that 
Joshua  and  Israel  did  not  act  out  of 
cruelty,  revenge,  and  avarice ;  but 
simply  in  obedience  to  God,  which 
alone  could  induce  pious  men  to 
make  such  undistinguishing  slaugh- 
ter of  their  fellow  creatures:  and 
doubtless  many  of  them  did  very 
great  violence  to  their  own  feelings 
and  inclinations,  while  engaged  in 
that  service.'     Scott. 

21.  At  that  time.  That  is,  during 
this  war  ;  in  the  course  of  these 
conquests.  The  words  refer  to  no 
special  point  of  time,  as  the  work 
was  gradually  accomplished  during 
the  lapse  of  a  considerable  period. 
Some  suppose  this  to  be  merely  a 
recapitulation  of  the  military  opera- 
tions detailed,  ch.  10.  36—41,  add- 
ing here  a  memorable  circumstance 
there  omitted,  viz.  the  destruction  of 


CHAPTER  XII. 


A.  C.  1450.] 

dah,  and  from  all  lhf3  mountains 
of  Israel :  Josliua  destroyed 
them  utterly  with  their  cities. 

22  There  was  none  of  the 
Anakims  left  in  the  land  of  the 
children  of  Israel :  only  in  Gaza, 
in  ^Gath,  "^and  in  Ashdod,  there 
remained. 

23  So  Joshua  took  the  whole 
land,  '•according  to  all  that  the 

bl  Sa;n.  17.  4.      c  c!l.  15.  IS.        d  Num.  31.  2,  lie- 


107 


the  Anakims  with  the  rest  of  the 
inhabitants  of  those  places.  Of  this 
gigantic  race,  see  on  Num.  13.  33 
Their  cutting  oflf  is  particularly 
mentioned  here,  because  they  had 
been  such  a  tenor  to  the  spies  forty 
years  before,  to  whom  their  bulk 
and  strength  made  them  appear  as 
absolutely  invincible.  Even  the  op- 
position which  they  feared  the  most 
was  overcome.  '  Never  let  the  sons 
of  Anak  be  a  terror  to  the  Israel  of 
God,  for  even  their  day  will  come 
to  fall.  Giants  are  dwarfs  to  Om- 
nipotence.' Henry.  Though  these 
Anakims  were  now  for  the  most  part 
reduced,  yet  numbers  of  them  escap- 
ed and  took  refuge  in  the  country  of 
the  Philistines,  and  settled  there, 
from  whom  Goliath,  and  other 
giants,  descended.  After  a  time 
some  of  them  returned  with  followers 
and  rebuilt  the  cities  from  which 
they  had  been  expelled;  and  Caleb 
and  Olhniel,  to  whom  that  region 
was  assigned,  vanquished  and  de- 
stroyed them  after  the  division  of 
the  land.  Ch.  14.  6—15.  15.  13—17. 
22.  ^^0  Joshua  took  the  ivhole  land. 
Not  absolutely  the  whole,  for  in 
ch.  13.  1,  the  Lord  himself  is  repre- 
sented as  saying  to  Joshua,  '  There 
remaineth  yet  very  much  land  to  be 
possessed,'  but  all  the  country  de- 
scribed here  and  in  the  preceding 
chapter  ;  the  greatest  and  best  part 
of   it.  IT  Gave  it  for  an  inheri- 

tance unto  Israel.  The  actual 
distribution  of  the  land  is  detailed 
afterwards, 


Lord  said  unto  Moses,  and  Josh- 
ua gave  it  for  an  inheritance  un- 
to Israel  ^according  to  their  di- 
visions by  their  tribes.  'And 
the  land  rested  from  war 


CHAPTER  XII. 

IVrOW  these  are  the  kings  of 

the  land,  which  the  children 

of  Israel   smote,   and    possessed 

e  Num.  26.  53.     ch   14    &  15.  &  16   &  17.  &  18.  &  19. 
f  ch.  14.  15.  &  21.  44.  &  22.  4.  &  2c.  1. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

We  have  in  the  present  chapter 
a  recapitulation  of  all  the  victories 
thus  far  achieved.  As  the  writer  is 
about  to  enter  upon  a  particular  ac- 
count of  the  distribution  of  the  land 
among  the  tribes,  he  here  pau.ses  to 
give  previously  a  general  view  of 
the  territory  to  be  divided,  includ- 
ing the  tracts  on  both  sides  the  Jor- 
dan. This  he  does  by  specifying 
the  kings,  rather  than  the  countries 
over  which  they  reigned ;  for  the 
power  of  a  state  is  concentrated  in 
the  person  of  its  sovereign,  and  such 
an  enumeration  presents  the  subject 
more  vividly  to  the  mind  of  the 
reader. — The  first  six  verses  con- 
tain a  list  of  the  kings  on  the  east 
side  of  Jordan,  conquered  by  Moses, 
with  their  territories,  and  the  re- 
mainder of  the  chapter  is  occupied 
with  a  catalogue  of  those  that  were 
reduced  by  Joshua.  '  The  enjoyment 
of  present  blessings  under  living 
benefactors  should  not  be  suffered  to 
efface  the  remembrance  of  former 
mercies  procured  by  the  instrumen- 
tality of  God's  honored  servants  who 
have  entered  into  their  rest.  The 
services  and  achievements  of  Joshua, 
should  not  eclipse  those  of  Moses.' 
Henry.  The  passages  refer  ed  to 
in  the  margin  give  all  the  useful  in- 
formation that  can  now  be  gleaned 
respecting  those  places,  but  recourse 
to  a  good  map  of  ancient  Canaan  is 
indispensable  to  obtaining  a  clear 
idea  of  the  subject. 

1 .  From  the  river  Arnon  unto  Mount 


108 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1450. 


their  land  on  the  other  side  Jor- 
dan toward  the  rising  of  the  sun, 
"from  the  river  Arnon,  ^unto 
mount  Hermon,  and  all  the  plain 
on  the  east : 

2  "^Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites, 
who  dwelt  in  Heshbon,  and  ru- 
led from  Aroer,  which  is  upon 
the  bank  of  the  river  Arnon,  and 
from  the  middle  of  the  river,  and 

a  Num.  21.24.        b  Deut.  3.  8,  9.        c  Num  21  24 
Deut.  2.  33  36.  &  3.  6,  1  i. 


Hermon.  The  small  river  Arnon 
was  the  boundary  of  all  the  sottth- 
ern  coast  of  the  land  occupied  by 
the  Israelites  beyond  Jordan.  The 
mountains  of  Hermon  were  the 
boundaries  on  the  north.  The  Ar- 
non takes  its  rise  in  the  mountains 
of  Gilead,  and  after  running  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  north  to 
south,  turns  to  the  northwest  and 
falls  into  the  Dead  Sea  not  very  far 
from  the  place  where  the  Jordan 
discharges  itself  See  Num.  21.  13. 
Deut.  2.  24.  IT  And  all  the  plain 
on  the  east.  Or,  even  all  the  plain  ; 
all  the  arable  champaign  country  on 
the  east  of  the  Jordan,  and  called 
Deut.  34.  1,  '  The  plains  of  Moab.' 
On  the  physical  features  of  this 
coimtry  see   note  on  Num.  3.  2. 

2.  Ruled  from  Aroer.  The  king- 
dom of  Sihbn  was  bounded  by  the 
Arnon  on  the  south,  the  Jabbok  on 
the  north,  the  Jordan  on  the  west, 
and  the  mountains  of  Arabia  on 
the  east.  IT  And  from  the  middle 
of  the  river.  Heb.  "injH  "Tim  and 
that  which  lies  between  the^ streams. 
A  line  passing  along  the  middle  of 
a  stream,  and  that  stream  by  no 
means  a  large  one,  is  so  remarkable 
■a boundary  to  be  adopted  by  ancient 
barbarous  clans,  that  we  are  quite 
satisfied  the  translation  is  errone- 
ous. The  word  '  from,'  introduced 
by  our  translators,  does  not  occur  in 
the  original  either  here  or  in  the  en- 
suing clause,  '  from  half  Gilead,' 
and  the  meaning  undoubtedly  is, 
that  Sihon  ruled  from  Aroer  over 
the  country  lyings,  between  f^e  rivers 


from  half  Gilead,  even  unto  the 
river  Jabbok,  which  is  the  border 
of  the  children  of  Ammon  ; 

3  And  'ifrom  the  plain  to  the 
sea  of  Cinneroth  on  the  east,  and 
unto  the  sea  of  the  plain,  even 
the  salt  sea  on  the  east,  *the  way 
to  Beth-jeshimoth  ;  and  from  the 
south,  under  ^ Ashdoth-pisgah  : 

4  IT  And    sthe    coast   of  Og 

<i  Den  .  3.  17.     -  ch.  13.  20.      1  Deut  3   17.  &  4.  49. 
g  Num.  kl.  b5.    Deu  .  3.  4,  10. 

(collect,  sing,  for  plur.)  even  the 
half  of  Gilead,  as  far  north  as  to 
the  river  Jabbok.  See  on  ch.  13.  9. 
All  the  region  lying  intermedi- 
ate between  the  above  mentioned 
streams,  and  sometimes  called  '  half 
Gilead,'  was  subject  to  his  authority. 
This  interpretation  is  strikingly 
confirmed  by  the  words  of  Josephus 
relative  to  the  territory  of  Sihon, 
which,  he  says,  '  is  a  country  situate 
beticeen  three  rivers,  and  naturally 
resembling  an  island ;  the  river 
Arnon  being  its  southern  limit,  the 
river  Jabbok  determining  its  north- 
ern side,  while  Jordan  itself  runs 
along  by  it  on  its  western  coast.' 
(Anliq.  B.  41.  ch.  5.)  The  other 
half  of  Gilead,  as  appears  from  v. 
4,  5,  lay  beyond  the  Jabbok,  and  be- 
longed to  the  kingdom  of  Og. 

3.  And  from  the  plain,  &c.  Here 
again  the  word  '  from '  is  gratuitous- 
ly, and,  as  we  conceive,  erroneously 
inserted.  The  design  of  the  writer 
is  merely  to  give  a  more  distinct  view 
of  the  position  of  the  tract  called  '  the 
plain,'  which  embraced  as  we  sup- 
pose the  plain  of  the  Jordan  q;i  its  eas- 
tern side,  extending  from  the  sea  of 
Cinneroth  or  Gennesaret  on  the  north 
to  the  salt  or  Dead  Sea  on  the  south. 
It  is  not  implied  that  he  reigned  to 
the  sea  of  Cinneroth,  but  that  the 
plain  in  question  extended  that  far, 
the  largest  part  of  which  fell  into  his 
dominions.  If  Sea  of  the  plain. 
The  Dead  Sea  is  so  called  from  its 
occupying  what  was  once  a  fertile, 
luxuriant,  and  beautiful  plain,  in 
which  were  situated  the  cities  of  So- 


A.  C.  1450.1 


CHAPTER  XII. 


1()9 


king  of  Bashan,  which  was  of 
^the  remnant  of  the  giants,  ithat 
dwelt  at  Ashtaroth  and  at  Edrei, 

5  And  reigned  in  ^mount  Her- 
mon,  land  in  Salcah,  and  in  all 
Bashan,  "'unto  the  border  of  the 
Geshurites.  and  the  Maacha- 
thites,  and  half  Gilead,  the  bor- 
der of  Sihon  king  of  Elcshbon. 

6  "Them  did  Moses  the  ser- 
vant of  the  Lord  and  the  chil- 
dren  of  Israel  smite  :  and  '^Mo- 
ses the  servant  of  the  Lord  gave 
it /or  a  possession  unto  the  Reu- 
benites,  and  the  Gadites,  and  the 
half  tribe  of  Manasseh. 

7  IT  And  these  are  the  kings 
of  the  country  p which  Joshua 
and  the  children  of  Israel  smote 
on  this  side  Jordan  on  the  west, 
from  Baal-gad  in  the  valley  of 
Lebanon,  even  unto  the  mount 

h  Deut.  3.  11.  ch.  13.  12.  i  Deu'.  1.  4  Ic  Deut.  3. 
8  1  Deiit.  3.  1  ^  ch.  13.  11.  m  DetU.  3.  U.  n  Num. 
21  24,  33.  o  Num.  32.  ^9,33  Deui.  3.  li,  12.  ch. 
13.  8.  p  ch.  11.  17 


dom  and  Gomorrah,  called  al^o  the 
'  cities  of  the  plain.'  IT  Betkjeshi- 
moth.  Situated  about  ten  miles  east 
of  the  Jordan,  and  about  the  same 
distance  from  its  mouth;  IT  From 
the  south.  Or,  Heb.  '  from  Teman.' 
IT  Under  Ashdoth-pisgah.  Seated  in 
the  plains  or  rather  the  slopes  at  the 
foot  of  mount  Pisgah.  The  original 
word  '  Ashdoth '  probably  signifies 
the  loio  places  at  the  foot  of  a  moun- 
tain. Comp.  Deut.  3.  17.— 4.  49. 

4.  And  the  coast  of  Og,  king  of  Bor- 
shan.  Supply  here  from  v.  1,  And 
the  children  of  Israel  smote  and  pos- 
sessed the  coast,  &c.'  Varying  a 
little  the  phraseology  with  which  he 
commenced,  the  writer  here  speaks 
first  of  the  country  of  the  king  of  Ba- 
shan, instead  of  enumerating  the  king 
himself,  IF  Of  the  remnant  of  the 
giants.  See  on  Deut.  3.  11.  IT 
That  dioelt  at  Ashtaroth  and  Edrei. 
Referring  to  Og  and  not  to  the  giants, 
10* 


Halak  that  goeth  up  to  "JSeir ; 
which  Joshua  --gave  unto  the 
tribes  of  Israel /ar  a  posse.ssion 
according  to  their  divisions  ; 

8  «In  the  mountains,  and  in 
the  valleys,  and  in  the  plains, 
and  in  the  springs,  and  in  the 
wilderness,  and  in  the  south  coun- 
try ;  'the  Hittites,  the  Amorites, 
and  the  Canaaniles,the  Perizites, 
the  HiviteSj  and  the  Jebusites  : 

^  IT  "The  king  of  Jericho, 
one;  ^the  king  of  Ai,  which  is 
beside  Beth-el,  one  ; 

10  yThe  king  of  Jerusalem, 
one  ;  the  king  of  Hebron,  one  ; 

1 1  The  king  of  Jarnquth,  one  ; 
the  king  of  Lachrsh,  (me  ; 

12  The  king  of  Eglon,  one  ; 
Hh'3  king  of  Gezer,  one  ; 

13  *The  king  of  Debir,  one  ; 
the  king  of  Geder,  one  ; 

rch.  11.23.    fch.  10  40.    &    11.16.  t  Ex.  3.  8.  & 

23.   ^3.    ch.  9.  1.        u  ch.  6.  2.        x  ch  8.  29.      y  ch. 

10.23.  zch.  10.33.  a  eh.  10.  38.  qGen.  14.  6. 
&  32.  3  .Deut. 2. 1,4. 

Probably  both  were  royal  cities,  and 
he  resided  sometimes  in  one,  and 
sometimes  in  the  other.  The  reader 
will  find  their  position  on  the  map, 
as  also  that  of  the  places  mentioned 
in  the  ensuing  verse. 

6.  Gave  it  for  a  possession.  The 
word  '  it '  has  no  antecedent  express-, 
ed,  but  It  is  easily  referred  ta  the 
whole  extent  of  country  here  spoken 
of,  which  was  taken  by  Moses  and 
given  to  the  two  tribes  and  a  half  as 
an  inheritance. 

7.  From  Baal-gad.  A  repetition 
of  what  is  mentioned,  ch,  11.  17. 

8.  In,  the  m.ou7itai7is,  and  in  the  vaU 
leys,  &c.  The  meaning  probably  is, 
that  he  smote  the  nations  dwelling  in 
the  mountains,  valleys,  &c,  even  the 
Hittites,  the  Amorites,  &c.  The 
words  convey  at  the  same  time  a 
striking  intimation  of  the  general 
features  of  the  country,  its  rich  va- 
riety of  soils,  contributing  at  once  to 


110 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


14  The  king  of-Hormah,  one  ; 
the  king  of  Arad,  one  ; 

15  ^The  king  ol  Libnah,  one  ; 
the  king  of  Adullam,  one  ; 

IG  <^Tho  king  of  Makkedah, 
one  ;   ^the  king  Beth-el,  one  ; 

17  The  king  of  Tappuah, 
one,  nhe  king  of  Hepher,  one  ; 

18  The  king  ofAphek,one; 
the  king  of  Lasharon,  one  ; 

19  Tlie  king  of  Madon,  one  ; 
'the  king  of  Hazor,  one  ; 

20  The  king  of  ?Shimrom- 
meron,  one  ;  the  king  of  Ach- 
shaph,  one  ; 

21  The  king  of  Taanach, 
one  ;  the  king  of  Megiddo,  one  ; 

b  ch.  10.  29  c  ch.  10.  23.       d  cli.  8.  17.    J.idg    1- 

22.         elKiu.  4.  10.         f  ch    11.10.      gcli.  11    l-    & 
•19,  15. 


its  fruitfulness  and  its  pleasantness. 
24.  All  the  kings,  thirty  and  one. 
From  the  number  of  these  kings,  we 
may  learn  how  numerous  and  yet 
how  sniall  were  the  petty  principal- 
ities into  which  the  land  of  Canaan 
was  divided.  The  extent  of  this 
country  from  north  to  south  was  not 
more  than  150  miles,  and  not  more 
than  fifty  from  east  to  west.  In  like 
Baanner  were  nearly  all  the  different 
nations  of  the  world  divided.  The 
consequence  was  that  civil  wars  and 
border  feuds  continually  prevailed, 
making  them  an  easy  prey  to  foreign 
invadors.  Thus  history  informs  us 
that  when  Caesar  invaded  Britain 
there  were  no  less  than  four  kings 
in  the  single  county  of  Kent. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
1 .  Joshua  teas  old.  In  all  proba- 
bility about  a  hundred,  as  he  employ- 
ed not  far  from  seven  years  in  the 
conquest  of  the  land,  and  is  supposed 
to  have  spent  about  one  in  dividing 
it,  and  he  died  about  ten  years  after, 
aged  one  hundred  and  ten  years,  ch. 
24.  29.  IT  Striken  in  years.  Heb. 
'  coming  or  entering  into  days.'  See 
Gen.  18.  11.        IF  TAcre  remaineth 


22  hThekingofKedesh,one; 
the  king  of  Jokneam  of  Carmel, 
one  ; 

23  The  king  of  Dor  in  the 
'coast  of  Dor,  one  ;  the  king  of 
Hhe  nations  of  Gilgal,  one  ; 

24  The  king  of  Tirzah,  one  : 
all  the  kings  thirty  and  one. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

"IVrQW  Joshua  ''was  old  and 
^  stricken  in  years;  and  the 
Lord  said  unto  him,  Thou  art 
old  and  stricken  in  years,  and 
there  remaineth  yet  very  much 
land  to  be  possessed. 

2   ''This  is  the  land  that  yet 

h  cli.   19.  37.        i  ch.  11.  2.        M  Gtii.  U.  1,  2.     Is. 
9.  1.        a  Stech.  14.  10.  i  2"=.  1.        bJud.  3.  1. 


yet  very  much  land  to  be  possessed. 
Heb.  '  to  possess  it.'  This  is  men- 
tioned to  Joshua  not  as  a  reason  for 
his  continuing  the  war,  but  for  sus- 
pending it,  though  to  the  Israelites 
the  intimation  would  answer  a  dif- 
ferent purpose.  They  were  admon- 
ished by  it  that  they  were  still  to  hold 
themselves  in  readiness  for  prosecu- 
ting the  v.-ar  in  due  time,  and  not  to 
think  of  putting  off  the  harness  as 
long  as  there  remained  any  land  to 
be  possessed.  But  as  to  Joshua,  at 
his  advanced  age  he  could  not  expect 
to  see  an  end  of  the  war.  and  there- 
fore it  was  expedient  that  he  should 
by  aside  other  cares  and  make  pre- 
paration at  once  for  dividing  the  land 
among  those  tribes  which  had  not 
yet  received  their  inheritance.  This 
work  was  to  be  done,  and  done  speed- 
ily, and  done  moreover  under  the  su- 
perintendance  of  Joshua.  Conse- 
quently as  he  was  now  old,  and  not 
likely  to  continue  long,  he  was  lo 
lose  no  time  in  setting  about  it.  '  All 
people,  but  especially  the  aged, 
should  set  themselves  to  do  that 
quickly  which  must  be  done  before 
they  die,  lest  death  prevent  them. 
Eccl.  9.  10.'     Heiiry. 


A.  C.  1451.] 


CHAPTER  Xn. 


Ill 


remaineth  :  "^all  the  borders  of 
the  Phihstines,  and  all  ^^Geshuri, 
3  ^Froin  Sihor,  which  is  be- 
fore Egypt,  even  unto  the  bor- 
ders of  Ekron  northward,  wliich 
is  counted  to  the  Canaanite :  ^ five 

c  Joel  3.  4.  dv.  13.  2  Sam.  3  3.  &  13.  37,  3<. 
e  J*r.  2.  IS.  f  Judg.  3.  3.  I  Sara.  6.  4,  16.  Zeph. 
2.  5. 

2.  The  land  that  yet  remaineth. 
That  yet  remaineth  to  be  conquered, 
TI  All  the  borders  of  the  Philistines. 
Lying  on  the  southern  coast  of  the 
Mediterranean.  The  Philistines 
are  no  where  else  mentioned  among 
the  devoted  nations  of  Canaan,  and 
the  reason  of  their  being  enumerated 
here  probably  is,  that  their  territo- 
ries formerly  belonged  to  the  Canaan- 
ites,  who  were  driven  away  and  sup- 
planted by  them,  Deut .  2, 23.  View- 
ed in  this  light,  therefore,  as  being 
originally  and  legitimately  the  coun- 
try of  the  Canaanites,  the  possessions 
of  the  Philistines  were  appointed  to 
come  into  the  hands  of  Israel.  IT 
And  all  Geshuri.  There  were  two 
places  of  this  name.  The  one  prob- 
ably intended  here  was  situated  in 
the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh,  on  the 
east  of  Jordan,  and  in  the  north-east- 
ern quarter  of  the  promised  land. 
As  the  Geshuriies  were  not  extirpa- 
ted by  the  Israelites  they  continued 
even  in  the  time  of  Absalom  to  be  ' 
governed  by  their  own  princes,  one 
of  whom  Talmai,  had  a  daughter 
married  to  David,  2  Sam.  13.  37. 

3.  Sihor.  Frequently  taken  for 
the  Nile,  but  probably  more  correctly 
understood  of  a  stream  forming  the 
southern  boundary  of  Canaan  to- 
wards Eygpt,  and  falling  into  the  sea 
on  the  south  of  Gaza.  Dr.  Richard- 
son describes  a  rivulet,  in  this  re- 
gion, thirty  yards  wide,  but  nearly,  if 
not  altogether,  dry  in  the  summer. 
It,  or  rather  its  channel,  is  called 
Wadv  Gaza.  If  Unto  the  borders 
of  Ekron.  One  of  the  five  lordships 
—Gaza,  Ashdod,  Askalon,  Gath,  and 
Ekron — belonging  to  the  Philistines, 
and  the  most  northern  of  all  the  dis- 
Uicts  they  possessed,  its  territory  be- 


lords  of  the  Philislhies  ;  the  Gaz- 
athites,  and  the  Ashdothites,  the 
Eshkalonites,  the  Gittites,  and 
the  Ekronites  ;  also  ethe  Avites  : 
4  From  the  south  all  the  land 
of  the  Canaanites,  and  Mearah 

g  Deal.  2.  23. 


ing  the  border  of  the  land  of  Judah , 
The  city  of  Ekron  was  situated  about 
thirty  four  miles  west  of  Jerusalem, 
ten  miles  north  east  of  Ashdod,  nine 
miles  west  by  north  of  Gath,  and  ten 
miles  east  of  the  shore  of  the  Medi- 
terranean. It  is  par'icularly  mention- 
ed in  Scripture  as  the  seat  of  the  ido- 
latrous worship  of  Baalzebub,  or  the 
'  Lord  of  flies,'  2  Kings  1.  2,  but  the 
divine  prediction  against  it,  that '  Ek- 
ron should  be  rooted  up,'  Zeph.  2.  4, 
has  long  since  been  accomplished, 
not  even  a  single  ruin  of  it  remain- 
ing to  mark  the  place  where  it  stood. 
Am.  1.8.  IT  Which  is  counted  to 

the  Canaanites.  Because  the  origi- 
nal possessors  of  this  country  were 
the,  descendants  of  Canaan,  the 
youngest  son  of  Ham.  The  Philis- 
tines sprung  from  Misraim,  the  se- 
cond son  of  Ham,  and  having  dispos- 
sessed the  Avites,  or  Avira,  from  the 
places  they  held  In  this  land,  dwelt 
in  their  stead.  See  Gen.  10.  13,  14. 
IT  Five  lords.  Petty  princes.  The 
term  is  put  for  the  lordships  them- 
selves, just  as  king  is  often  used  for 
kingdom.  The  original  sarnaivt, 
princes,  literally  signifies  axles  ;  and 
so  the  Arab,  for  chief  magistrate  is 
Katbun,  axis ;  because  public  affairs 
and  the  people  did,  as  it  were,  revolve 
round  and  depend  upon  him,  as  the 
parts  of  a  wheel  upon  its  axis.  IT 
Also  the  Avites.  The  remnant  of 
the  tribe  or  clan  of  the  Avims  said 
in  Deut.  2.  23,  to  have  been  expell- 
ed by  the  Caphthorim.  The  scat- 
tered relics  of  this  people  remained 
mixed  up  -with  the  five  Philistine 
lordships  above  mentioned. 

2.  From  the  south,  &c.  The  whole 
maritime  country  from  the  southern 
limits  here  mentioned,  as  far  north 


112 


Joshua. 


[A.  C.  1451. 


that  h  beside  the  Sidonians,  Hin- 
t>  Aphek  to  the  borders  of  ithe 
Amorites  : 

5  And  the  land  of  Hhe  Gib^ 
lites,  and  all  Lebanon  toward  the 
sun-rising  ifrom  Baal-gad  under 
mount  Hermon  unto  the  enter, 
ing  into  Hamath. 

6  All  the  inhabitants  of  the 

h  ch.  19.  30,  i  See  Judg.  1.  34.       k  1  Kin.  5.  IS- 

Ps. 83.  7.     fijiek.  21.  9.  1  ca.  12  7. 


as  to  Sidon  and  some  of  the  Amori- 
tish  possessions  in  that  quarter,  is 
hereby  made  over  in  promise  to  Is- 
rael. Joshua  himself  does  not  appear 
to  have  made  any  conquests  on  the 
sea  coast  IT  Mearah.  Or,  Heb. '  the 
cave;^  by  which  Le  Clerc  under- 
stands the  mountainous  tract  of  Up- 
per Galilee,  sometimes  called  the 
cave-country  of  the  Sidonians, 
abounding  in  caves  and  fastnessess, 
which  served  as  sheltering  places  in 
time  of  war,  and  as  asylums  also  for 
roving  bands  of  marauders.  Jose- 
phus  often  speaks  of  such  places  in 
the  bounds  of  the  holy  land  ;  and  the 
Marouite  monks  of  Canobin  assured 
M.  de  la  Roque,  that  among  the 
mountains  between  which  the  river 
Kadisha  runs,  there  were  not  less 
than  eight  hundred  caves  or  grottos. 
Others  suppose  it  to  have  been  a 
single  large  and  remarkable  cave  be- 
tween Sarepta  and  Sidon,  described 
by  V/illiam,  Bishop  of  Tyre.  This 
however  is  less  likely. 

5.  The  land  of  the  Glblitcs.  The 
name  of  a  people  dwelling  in  Gebal, 
near  Sidon.  1  Kings  5. 18.  Ezek.  27. 
9.  Their  land  was  not  given  to  the 
Israelites,  because  it  lay  without  the 
precincts  of  Canaan.  From  among 
this  people,  Solomon  employed  a 
number  of  artists  in  the  erection  of 
the  temple,  1  Kings  5.  18.  They 
were  also  famed  for  ship-building, 
Ezek.  27.  9.  It  is  supposed  by  many 
that  the  modern  Byblits  is  the  same 
as  the  ancient  Gebal.  They  were 
certainly  situated  in  the  same  re- 
gion. 

6.  Themwillldriveout.  Theori- 


hill-country  from  Lebanon  unto 
'"Misrephoth-maim,  and  all  the 
Sidonians,  them  "will  I  drive  out 
from  before  the  children  of  Is- 
rael :  only  ^divide  thou  it  by  lot 
unto  the  Israelites  for  an  inher- 
itance, as  I  have  commanded 
thee. 

7  Now  therefore  divide  this 


111  ch.  11.  8.        nSee  ch    23.  13. 
ch    U    I   2. 


Judg.  2  21  23. 


ginal  is  emphatic  ;  '  It  is  7  that  will 
do  it ;  I  who  have  all  power,  and  am 
ever  faithful  ;  I  who  have  promised, 
and  can  and  will  perform.'  Chald. 
'  I  will  do  it  by  my  Word;'  i.  e.  by 
my  eternal  Word,  the  Captain  of  the 
Lord's  hosts.  This,  however,  like 
other  similar  declarations,  is  to  be 
understood  conditioiMlly .  God  never 
promised  to  put  them  in  possession 
of  the  whole  land,  but  upon  condition 
of  iheir  Jidelity  to  him.  If  they  fail- 
ed in  obedience,  they  would  fail  in 
becoming  masters  of  the  country. 
Accordingly  we  find  that  they  never 
did  actually  possess  the  whole  land 
here  assigned  to  them.  The  Sido- 
nians were  never  expelled  by  the  Is- 
raelites, and  were  only  brought  into 
a  state  of  comparativ^e  subjection  in 
the  days  of  David  and  Solomon. 
Joshua,  however,  notwithstanding 
the  cavils  of  infidels  actually  did  all 
that  it  was  promised  he  should  do. 
God  never  said  that  he  should  cori- 
quer  all  the  land,  but  simply  th.nt  he 
shonldbriiig  Israeiiiito  it,  and  divide 
it  among  them,  both  which  he  did, 
and  procured  them  footing  by  his 
conquests  sufficient  to  have  enabled 
them  to  establish  themselv^es  in  it  for- 
ever. Their  failure  to  do  so  was  ow- 
ing wholly  to  themselves.  So  we 
must  work  out  our  salvation  de- 
pending upon  God  to  work  in  us,  and 
to  work  with  us.  We  must  resi.st  our 
spiritual  enemies,  and  look  to  God  to 
trample  them  under  our  feet.  TI  0?i- 
ly  divide  thou  it  by  lot.  Heb.  '  cast  it, 
cause  it  to  fall.'  See  note  on  Gen.  25. 
18.  A  phraseology  derived  from  the 
casting  of  the  lots  by  which  its  dis- 


A.  C.  1450.] 


CHAPTER  Xril. 


113 


land  for  an  inheritance  unto  the 
nine  tribes,  and  the  half-tribe  of 
Manasseh, 

8  With  whom  the  Reubenites 
and  the  Gadites  have  received 
their  inheritance,  Pwhich  Moses 
gave  them,  beyond  Jordan  east- 
ward, even  as  Moses  the  servant 
of  the  Lord  gave  them  ; 

9  From  Aroer  that  is  upon 
the  bank  of  the  river  Arnon,  and 
the  city  that  is  in  the  midst  of 
the  river,  'sand  all  the  plain  of 
Medeba  unto  Dibon  ; 


p  Num.  32. 
Num.  ai.  3d. 


Deut.  3.12,  13.    ch.  22.  4.    q  t.  16. 


tribiition  was  governed.  Joshua,  no 
doubt,  supposed  that  the  land  was 
first  to  be  conquered,  before  it  was  di- 
vided, but  here  his  mistake  is  cor- 
rected. The  great  Proprietor  would 
hav^e  his  people  consider  the  country 
as  even  now  theirs,  and  as  a  pledge 
of  his  purpose  to  give  it  them,  di- 
rects that  without  further  delay  it  be 
forthwith  apportioned  out  among  the 
tribes.  This  order  would  not  only 
strengthen  their  assurance  of  the 
fiaal  possession  of  the  land,  but  serve 
also  as  an  incentive  to  prosecute  the 
work  of  conquest  with  fresh  vigor, 
and  to  keep  themselves  from  all 
leagues  and  every  kind  of  entangling 
connection  which  might  obstruct  the 
attainment  of  their  ultimate  object. 
So  the  exercise  of  a  lively  faith  puts 
the  Christian  even  now  in  possession 
of  the  heavenly  Canaan,  the  land  of 
his  eternal  inheritance.  Of  all  such 
it  may  be  truly  said  ; — 

'  They  view  the  triumph  from  afar, 
Ani1  seize  it  with  their  eye. 

8.  With  whom.  Heb. 'with  him.' 
i.  e.  with  the  other  half  tribe  of 
Manasseh,  who  were  to  have  no 
part  in  Canaan  proper,  as  their  in- 
heritance had  alread)^  fallen  to  them, 
on  the  other  side  of  Jordan,  The 
relative  is  put  for  an  antecedent, 
which  is  to  be  supplied  from  the 
general  tenor  of  the  narrative,  as  in 
Num.  7.  89.    Ps.  114,  3.    Is,  8,  31. 


10  And  'all  the  cities  of  Sihon 
king  of  the  Amorites,  which 
reigned  in  Heshbon,  unto  the  bor- 
der of  the  children  of  Ammon  ; 

11  'And  Gilead,  and  the  bor- 
der of  the  Geshurites  and  Maac- 
hathites,  and  all  mount  Hermon, 
and  all  Bashan  unto  Salcah ; 

12  All  the  kingdom  of  Og  in 
Bashan,  which  reigned  in  Ash- 
taroth  and  in  Edrei,  who  remain- 
ed of  tthe  remnant  of  the  giants. 
"For  these  did  Moses  smite,  and 
cast  them  out. 

r  Num.  21  24.25.  a  ch.  12.  6.  t  Deut.  3.  U- 
ch    12.   4.         u  Num.  21.  24,   33. 

Jer.  1.  3.  The  speaker  here  and 
henceforward  is  not  God,  whose 
words  terminate  with  v.  7,  but  the 
historian,  who  takes  occasion  to  re- 
hearse the  allotment  made  by  Moses 
to  the  two  tribes  and  a  half  on  the 
other  side  Jordan,  in  order  that  the 
reader  might  understand  the  reason 
why  nothing  is  said  of  them,  in  the 
distribution  now  to  be  made  by  Josh- 
ua, but  the  whole  land  on  this  side 
the  river  is  ordered  to  be  given  to  the 
nine  tribes  and  a  half  The  other 
two  and  a  half  had  been  already  pro- 
vided for  ;  and  the  restatement  of  the 
fact  here,  in  the  formal  record  of  the 
division  of  the  land,  would  serve  to 
ratify,  in  the  strongest  manner,  the 
grant  formerly  made  by  Moses.  As 
he  had  settled  the  affair,  so  Joshua 
would  leave  it.  He  would  not  alter 
what  Moses  had  done,  and  the  reason 
why  he  would  not,  is  intimated  in 
the  fact  that  Moses  was  '  the  servant 
of  the  Lord,'  faithful  in  all  his  house, 
and  acting  in  this  matter  by  a  secret 
direction  from  him. 

9.  The  city  that  is  in  the  midst  of 
the  river,  For  the  true  meaning  of 
the  expression,  *  in  the  midst  of  the 
river,'  see  note  on  ch,  12.  2,  Judg' 
ing  from  the  reports  of  travelers, 
we  see  no  reason  to  believe  that 
such  an  inconsiderable  stream  as 
Arnon,  a  mere  rivulet,  contained  an 
island  large  enc  Jigh  for  the  site  of 


114 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1445. 


13  Nevertheless,  the  children 
of  Israel  expelled  '^not  the  Gesh- 
urites,  nor  the  Maachathites :  but 
the  Geshurites  and  the  xMaacha- 
thites  dwell  among  the  Israelites 
until  this  day. 

14  yOnly  unto  the  tribe  of 
Levi  he  gave  none  inheritance  ; 

X  V.  11.        y  Num.  13.  20,  23,  24.     ch.  U.  3,  4. 

a  city.  These  verses  from  v.  9  to 
14,  comprise  a  general  description 
of  the  whole  country  given  to  the 
two  tribes  and  a  half.  The  remain- 
der of  the  chapter  is  occupied  with 
a  detailed  account  of  the  several  dis- 
tricts allotted  to  each.  Here  in  v. 
9,  taking  '  city'  and  '  river,'  accord- 
ing to  the  common  Heb.  idiom,  as 
the  collect,  sing,  for  the  plur.  we 
conceive  the  writer's  drift  is  to  say, 
that  beginning  at  Aroer  Moses  gave 
to  the  two  tribes  and  a  half  all  the 
cities  lijing  between  the  several  rivers 
mentioned  ch.  12.  1,  2,  together  with 
all  the  plain  or  champagne  country 
of  Medeba  even  to  Dibon.  These, 
in  the  next  verse,  are  called  the 
cities  of  Sihon,  because  they  lay 
within  his  territories. 

13.  The  children  of  Israel  expelled 
not  the  Geshurites,  &c.  Spoken  ap- 
parently by  way  of  reflection  upon 
the  Israelites  who  succeeded  Moses, 
for  their  remissness  in  driving  out 
these  nations.  The  failure  of  Mo- 
ses to  make  a  clean  riddance  of 
them  at  his  first  conquest  might  be 
entirely  excusable,  as  he  was  in- 
tent upon  reaching  Canaan,  and 
could  not  well  subject  himself  to 
the  delay  necessary  for  their  com- 
plete extermination.  But  this  plea 
would  not  hold  after  Canaan  was 
entered.  The  tribes  ought  to  have 
gone  forward  at  once  and  finished 
the  work  which  Moses  had  begun. 
Instead  of  this,  it  is  related  to  their 
disgrace,  that  they  still  suffered  these 
people  to  dwell  among  them  down 
to  the  time  when  this  history  was 
written.  The  spirit  of  inspiration 
discovers,  if  we  may  so  speak,  a  won- 
derful tact,  both  in  administering 


the  sacrifices  of  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel  made  by  fire  are  thcur 
inheritance,  ^as  he  said  unto 
them. 

15  ^  And  MosGs  gave  unto 
the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Reu- 
ben  inheritance  according  to 
their  families. 


censure  and  bestowing  praise.  In- 
stances of  both,  managed  with  the 
most  consummate  skill,  abound  in 
the  compass  of  the  sacred  s  rip- 
tures. 

14.  Unto  the  tribe  of  Levi  he  gave 
no  inheritance.  See'  on  Num.  18. 
20 — 2-1.  IT  The  sacrifices  made  by 
fire.  The  term  is  to  be  understood 
in  a  large  sense,  including  not  only 
all  the  oblations  of  which  any  part 
was  burnt,  but  also  the  first  fruits 
and  tithes  assigned  to  the  Leviles 
for  their  support.  This  is  repeat- 
ed again  v.  43,  to  intimate  that  the 
Levites  had  as  good  a  title  to  their 
tithes  and  perquisites,  as  the  rest 
of  their  brethren  had  to  their  es- 
tates, and  also  to  enjoin  upon  the 
tribes  a  cheerful  and  conscientious 
compliance  with  the  will  of  God 
in  this  respect.  "Withholding  their 
dues  from  the  Levites  he  consid- 
ered as  no  less  then  actually  rob- 
bing himself 

15.  Moses  gave  unto  the  tribe  of 
the  children  of  Reiiben.  The  writer 
now  enters  upon  a  minute  specifi- 
cation of  the  portions  assigned  by 
lot  to  the  tribes  of  Reuben,  Gad, 
and  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh. 
This  is  very  fully  and  exactly  de- 
tailed. On  this  mode  of  assigning 
to  the  children  their  inheritances, 
and  on  this  account  of  it,  it  maj^  be 
remarked,  (1.)  That  it  was  the 
most  equitable  and  satisfactory  meth- 
j  od  that  could  be  adopted.  Had  the 
I  distribution  been  made  by  arbitrary 
!  appointment,  as  all  could  not  re- 
i  ceive  portions  equally  good,  some 
I  would  probably  have  complained 
I  that  their  brethren  were  better  dealt. 
,by  thaii  themselves,    Dividing  the 


A.  C.  1445.] 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


115 


16  And  their  coast  was  ^from 
Aroer  that  is  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  Arnon,  ''and  the  city  that 
is  in  the  midst  of  the  river,  <=and 
all  the  plain  by  Medeba  : 

17  Heshbon,  and  all  her  ci- 
ties that  are  in  the  plain ;  Dibon, 
and  Bamoth-baal,  and  Beth- 
baal-meon, 

18  'I And  Jahaza,  and  Kede- 
moth,  and  Mephaath, 

19  «And  Kirjathainn,  and 
'"Sibmah,  and  Zareth-shahar  in 
the  mount  of  the  valley, 

20  And  Beth-peor,  and  ^Ash- 
doth-pisgah,  and  Beth-jeshimoth, 

21  ^Knd  all  the  cities  of  the 

a  Ch.  12  2.  b  Num.  21.  28.  c  Num.  21.  30.  v.  9. 
A  Num.  21  23.  e  Num.  32  37.  f  Num.  32.  38. 
g  Deu-.  3   17.    ch.  12.  3.     h  Deui  3.  10 


plain,  and  all  the  kingdom  of  Si- 
hon  king  of  the  Amorites  which 
reigned  in  Heshbon,  i  whom  "Mo- 
ses smote  Hvith  the  princes  of 
Midian,  Evi,  and  Rekem,  and 
Zur,  and  Hur,  and  Reba,  wliich 
were  dukes  of  Sihon,  dwelling 
in  the  country. 

22  IF  iBalaam  also  the  son  of 
Beor,  the  sooth-sayer,  did  the 
children  of  Israel  slay  with  the 
sword,  among  them  that  were 
slain  by  them. 

23  And  the  border  of  the 
children  of  Reuben  was  Jordan, 
and  the  border  thereof.  This 
was  the  inheritance  of  the  chil- 

i  Num.  21.  24.         k  Num.  31.  8.  1  Num.  2i   -5. 

&  31.  ». 


land  by  lot,  therefore,  by  cutting 
off  all  pretence  for  the  charge  of 
favoritism  on  the  part  of  Moses, 
the  readiest  way  of  satisfying  all 
parties,  and  preventing  discontent 
and  discord  (2.)  The  several  al- 
lotments are  here  very  minutely 
detailed  in  order  that  litigation 
growing  out  of  disputed  bounda- 
ries might  ever  after  be  prevented. 
When  the  limits  of  each  tribe  were 
so  clearly  settled,  there  could  be 
little  room  for  contending  claims, 
or  if  there  were,  an  authentic  reg- 
ister of  the  lot  of  each  tribe  would 
be  at  hand  to  be  appealed  to  for  a 
decision,  and  there  is  no  doubi  that 
it  was  often  made  use  of  in  after 
ages  for  this  purpose.  We  cannot 
but  learn  from  this  the  great  im- 
portan-:e  of  devising  every  prudent 
method  to  prevent  litigations  about 
property.  (3.)  The  reading  of  this 
account  by  succeeding  generations 
would  tend  to  excite  a  very  deep 
and  lively  impression  of  the  good- 
ness of  God  in  bestowing  upon 
their  ancestors,  for  the  benefit  of 
their  posterity,  such  a  large  and 
fertile  country,  an  inheritance  so  re- 
plete with  all  the  worldly  blessings 


which  heart  could  wish.  '  God's 
grants  look  best,  when  we  descend 
to  the  particulars.'  Henry.  IT  Ac- 
cording  to  their  families.  As  every 
tribe  had  its  inheritance  divided 
by  lot;  so  it  is  probable,  that  af- 
terwards the  subdivisions  to  every 
family  and  each  individual  were 
regulatedin  the  same  manner.  Thus 
their  estates  would  descend  to  pos- 
terity, not  so  much  as  the  inherit- 
ance of  their  fathers,  as  that  which 
the  Lord  had  immediately  assign- 
ed them.  Thev  could  thus  say, 
with  the  Psalmist,  Ps.  16.  5,  6, 
'  The  Lord  is  the  portion  of  mine 
inheritance  and  of  my  cup:  thou 
maintainest  my  lot.  The  lines  are 
fallen  unto  me  in  pleasant  places; 
I  have  a  goodly  heritage.' 

2L  Dukes  of  Sihon.  Probably  so 
called  because  they  had  been  his  tri- 
butaries, subject  to  his  jurisdiction. 
They  are  indeed  called  '  kings  of 
Midian '  in  Num.  31.8,  but  by '  kings' 
in  the  sacred  writings  we  are  often 
to  understand  no  more  than  mere 
petty  chieftains,  who  might  be  at  the 
same  time  subject  to  some  more  po- 
tent sovereign.     See  Gen.  14.  1,  2. 

22.  Balaam  also — did  ths  children 


116 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1445. 


dren  of  Reuben,  after  their  fam- 
ilies, the  cities  and  the  v.llages 
thereof. 

24  And  Moses  gave  inheri- 
tance unto  the  tribe  of  Gad,  even 
unto  the  children  of  Gad  accord- 
ing  to  their  families. 

25  ""And  their  coast  was  Ja- 
zer,  and  all  the  cities  of  Gilead, 
"and  half  the  land  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Ammon,  unto  Aroer  that 
is  before  "Rabbah  ; 

26  And  from  Heshbon  unto 
Ramath-mizpeh,  and  Betonim  ; 
and  from  Mahanaim  unto  the 
border  of  Debir ; 

27  And  in  the  valley,  pBeth- 
aram,  and  Beth-nimrah,  "^and 
Succoth,  and  Zaphon,  the  rest  of 
the  kingdom  of  Sihon  king  of 
Heshbon,  Jordan  and  his  border, 
even  unto  the  edge  ""of  the  sea  of 
Cinneroth,  on  the  other  side  Jor- 
dan  eastward. 

28  This  is  the  inheritance  of 
the  children  of  Gad  after  their 
families,  the  cities,  and  their  vil- 
lages. 

29  IT  And  Moses  gave  inher- 
itance unto  the  half  tribe  of  Ma- 
nasseh  :  and  this  was  the  posses- 
sion of  the  half-tribe  of  the  chil- 

m  Num.  32-  35.  n  Compare  Num.  £1.26,  28,  29, 
wilh  Dent.  •^.  19.  &  Judg.  11.  13  15,  &c.  o  2Sam. 
11.1.  &  12.  26.  p  Num.  32  36.  q  Gen.  33.  17. 
I   King*  7.  .6.        rNum.  31.11. 


of  Israel  slay.  He  fell  with  those 
who  instigated  him  to  his  wicked- 
ness. '  This  was  recorded  before, 
Num.  31,  8,  but  is  repeated  here,  be- 
cause the  defeating  of  Balaam's  pur- 
pose to  curse  Israel  was  the  turning 
of  that  curse  into  a  blessing,  and  was 
such  an  instance  of  the  power  and 
goodness  of  God  as  was  fit  to  be 
had  in  everlasting  remembrance.' 
Henry. 


dren  of  Manasseh  by  their  fam- 
ilies. 

30  And  their  coast  was  from 
Mahanaim,  all  Bashan,  all  the 
kingdom  of  Og  king  of  Bashan, 
and  "all  the  towns  of  Jair,  which 
are  in  Bashan,  threescore  cities  : 

31  And  half  Gilead,  and 
tAshtaroth,  and  Edrei,  cities  of 
the  kingdom  of  Og  in  Bashan, 
were  pertaining  unto  the  children 
of  Machir  the  son  of  Manas.seh, 
even  to  the  one  half  of  the  "chil- 
dren of  Machir  by  their  families. 

32  These  are  the  countries 
which  Moses  did  distribute  for 
inheritance  in  the  plains  of  Moab, 
on  the  other  side  Jordan  by  Jer- 
icho eastward. 

33  ^'But  unto  the  tribe  of  Le- 
vi, Moses  gave  not  any  inheri- 
tance :  the  Lord  God  of  Israel 
was  their  inheritance,  yas  he  said 
unto  them. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  ND  these  are  the  countries 
■^^  which  the  children  of  Israel 
inherited  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
"^which  Eleazar  the  priest,  and 
Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  the 
heads  of  the  fathers  of  the  tribes 

s  Num   32.41.         lfhron.2.  23.  t  ch.  12.  4, 

u  Nni.i.  32.  39,  40.         x  v.  14.    ch.   18.  7.         y  Num. 
18.  20.     Ueut.  10.  9.  &  18.   1,  2.        a  Num.  34.  17, 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

1.  These  are  the  countries,  &c. 
The  historian  having,  in  the  prece- 
ding chapter,  given  an  account  of 
the  disposal  of  the  countries  on  the 
other  side  of  Jordan,  comes  now  to 
state  the  allotments  made  to  the  re- 
maining nine  tribes  and  a  half  in  the 
bounds  of  Canaan  proper.  The  di- 
rections which  Moses  had  formerly 
given  Num.  36.  53 — 56,  respecting 


A.  C.  1444.1 

of  the  children  of  Israel   distri- 
buted for  inheritance  to  them. 

2  bgy  lot  was  their  inheri- 
tance, as  the  Lord  commanded 
by  the  hand  of  Moses,  for  the 
nine  tribes,  and/or  the  half-tribe. 

3  <^For  Moses  had  given  the 
inheritance  of  two  tribes  and  a 
half-tribe  on  the  other  side  Jor- 
dan  ^  but  unto  the  Levites  he 
gave  none  iaheritance  among 
them. 

4  For  '^the  children  of  Joseph 
were  two  tribes,  Manasseh  and 
Ephraim  :  therefore  they  gave 

b  Ntim.  26.  55.   &  33.  54.   &  31.  13.         c  ch.   13.  8, 
32,  33:        d  Gen..  48.  5.    1  Chr.  5.1,2. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


117 


the  mode  of  making-  this  distribu- 
lion  are  now  to  be  punctually  ob- 
served. Previously  to  entering  up- 
on the  account  of  this  division,  the 
writer  premises  two  or  three  things 
which  fall  in  here  more  properly 
than  any  where  else^  as  that  the  Le- 
vites were  not  comprehended  in  the 
grant  made  to  the  tribes ;  that  the 
tribe  of  Joseph  was  reckoned  as  two ; 
and  that  Caleb  had  given  to  him  at 
his  request  a  certain  tract  of  country 
which  had  been  befare  promised  by 
Moses.  ^  The  keads  af  the  fathers 
of  the  tribes.  That  is,  heads  or  chief 
men  among^  the  fathers  of  the  tribes. 
These  were  twelve  in  number,  in- 
cluding- Joshua  and  Eleazer.  They 
had  been  before  expressly  appointed 
by  Moses,  Num.  34.  19.  This  was 
done  that  every  tribe,  having  a  re- 
presentative of  its  own,  might  be  sa- 
tisfied that  there  was  fair  dealing, 
and  might  consequently  abide  more 
contentedly  by  its  lot. 

2.  By  lot.  was  their  inheritance. 
This  distribution  by  lot  was  overrul- 
ed by  a  special  providence,  so  as  to 
correspond  with  the  inspired  predic- 
tions of  Jacob  and  Moses,  respecting 
the  allotment  of  each  tribe.  The 
fact  is  very  remarkable,  yet  unques- 
tionable, that  the  tribes  found  them- 
selves placed  by  lot  in  the  very  see- 


no  part  unto  the  Levites  in  the 
land,  save  cities  to  dwell  in,  with 
their  suburbs  for  their  cattle,  and 
for  their  substance* 

5  *As  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses,  so  the  children  of  Israel 
did,  and  they  divided  the  land. 

6  H  Then  the  children  of  Ju- 
dah  came  unto  Joshua  in  Gilgal : 
and  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh 
the  '"Kenezite  said  unto  him, 
Thou  knowest  &the  thing  that  the 
Lord  said  unto  Moses  the  man 
of  God  concerning  me  and  thee 
''in  Kadesh-barnea. 

e  N<im.  35.  2.  ch.  21.  2.  f  Nam.  32.  12.  *  ch. 
1-5.  It.  g  Num.  U.  24,  3U.  Deul.  1.  36,  38  h  Num. 
13.26. 

tions  of  the  country,  which  Jacob 
had  foretold  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years  before,  and  Moses  shortly  be- 
fore his  death.  Comp.  Gen.  49.  and 
Deul.  33.  To  Judah  fell  a  country 
abounding  in  vineyards  Sind pastures; 
to  Zebulon,  sea-coasts ;  to  Issachar, 
a  rich  plain  betivcen  ranges  of  moun- 
tains;  to  Asher,  one  abounding  in 
plenty  of  oil,  7V  he  at, ^  and  metals ;  and 
so  of  the  others.  See  Masius  and 
Calmet  for  more  particular  details. 

4.  The  children  of  Joseph  loere  two 
tribes.  That  is,  had  a  double  portion 
or  the  portion  of  two  tribes.  By 
Joseph's  being  reckoned  two  tribes, 
the  nation  was  made  to  consist  of 
twelve  tribes,  though  Levi  was  ex- 
cluded. 

5.  And  they  divided  the  land.  They 
entered  upon  the  business  of  divid- 
ing it;  they  took  the  preliminary 
measures;  they  consulted  together 
and  settled  the  manner  in  which  it 
should  be  done.  The  actual  divid- 
ing took  place  afterwards.  It  must 
have  required  a  considerable  time  to 
make  all  the  geographical  arrange- 
ments necessary  for  this  purpose. 

6.  Then  the  ch  ildren  of  Judah  came. 
'  Then' — while  they  were  at  Gilgal 
preparing  to  make  the  division, 
which  it  seems  was  finished  at  Shilo, 
ch.  18.  1.     The  thread  of  the  narra- 


118 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  €.1444. 


7  Forty  years  old  was  I  when 
Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord 
isent  me  from  Kadesh-barnea  to 
espy  out  the  land  ;  and  I  brought 
him  word  again  as  it  was  in  my 
heart. 

i  Num.  13.  6.   a  \i.  6. 

tion  is  again  interrupted  to  introduce 
the  digression  concerning  the  allot- 
ment of  Caleb.  The  children  of  Ju- 
dah,  that  is,  probably,  the  heads  and 
chief  men,  accompanied  Caleb,  who 
rbelonged  to  the  same  tribe,  in  order  to 
testify  their  consent  to  the  measure, 
aftd  to  aid  and  countenance  him  in 
obtaining  the  object  of  his  request. 
As  Caleb  was  one  of  the  twelve 
whom  God  had  chosen  to  superin- 
tend the  partition  of  the  land.  Num. 
34.  12,  it  might  seem,  if  he  came  un- 
attended, that  he  designed  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  his  authority  as  a  com- 
missioner to  promote  his  private  in- 
terest ;  he  therefore  takes  his  breth- 
ren along  with  him  to  preclude 
any  such  imputation.  Some  suppose 
that  this  transaction  took  place  pre- 
vious to  the  siege  and  capture  of 
Hebron  related  ch.  10.  36,  37,  and 
that  the  expedition  detailed  its  minute 
particulars,  in  ch.  15. 13 — 15,  is  there 
barely  touched  upon,  or  described  in 
the  most  general  manner.  The  fact, 
however,  that  the  application  of  Ca- 
leb was  made  to  Joshua  at  Gilgal, 
and  not  while  he  was  pursuing  his 
conquests  over  the  south  of  Canaan, 
seems  decisive  against  this  opinion. 
IT  Thou  kno2cest  the  thing,  &c.  Ca- 
leb probably  alludes  to  what  is  said 
Num.  14.  24,  '  But  my  servant  Caleb 
him  will  I  bring  into  the  land  where- 
into  he  went;  and  his  seed  shall  pos- 
sess it.'  Deut.  1.  36,  '  Caleb  the  son 
of  Jephunneh,  to  him  will  I  give  the 
land  that  he  hath  trodden  upon,  and 
to  his  children,  because  he  hath 
wholly  followed  the  Lord."  This 
seems  to  be  spoken,  not  of  the  land 
of  promise  in  general,  but  of  some 
particular  district  to  which  he  had 
penetrated  when  sent  out  by  Moses. 
This,    undoub:ediy,   was    'Hebron,  | 


8  Nevertheless,  •'my  breth- 
ren that  went  up  with  me  made 
the  heart  ofthe  people  melt :  but 
I  wholly  ifollowed  the  Lord  my 
God. 

9  And  Moses  sware  on  that 

k  ^um.  13.  31,  32.    Deut.  1.  28.         1  Num.  14    24. 
Deut.  1.  3'J. 


Num.  13,  22,  and  was  so  understood 
by  all  parties  at  the  time.  The  pro- 
mise then  made  by  God  to  Moses  he 
now  pleads  ;  and  what  can  be  more 
confidently  expected  than  the  fulfil- 
ment of  His  gracious  word  1  There 
is  more  presumption  in  declining 
and  neglecting  his  promises,  than  in 
urging  their  performance. 

7.  Brought  him  xcord  again  as  it 
was  inmine  heart.  Made  a  true  and 
honest  statement ;  spake  sincerely ; 
uttered  the  real  sentiments  of  my 
heart.  His  conscience  bore  him  wit- 
ness and  now  enabled  him  to  say, 
that  neither/car  nov  favor  influenced 
him  on  the  occasion  ;  he  told  what 
he  believed  to  be  the  truth,  the  whole 
truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth.  It 
has  been  remarked  in  this  connec- 
tion, that  Caleb's  name  signifies,  ac- 
cording to  the  heart. 

8,  IiohoUy  follaioedthe  Lord.  Heb. 
'  fulfilled  after  the  Lord.'  Arab.  '  I 
perfected  m)^  obedience  before  the 
Lord  my  God.'  On  the  import  of 
this  expression,  see  note  on  Num. 
14.  24.  As  he  had  obtained  this  tes- 
timony from  God  himself,  it  was  not 
vain  glory  for  him  to  speak  of  it, 
especially  as  this  was  the  main 
ground  on  which  he  had  become  en- 
titled to  the  object  of  his  petition.  It 
is  not  pride,  but  simply  a  tribute  of 
due  acknowledgment,  to  declare 
what  a  gracious  God  has  done  for 
us  and  by  us.  '  They  that  follow 
God  fully  when  they  are  j'^oung, 
shall  have  both  the  credit  and  com- 
fort of  it  when  they  are  old,  and  the 
reward  of  it  for  ever,  in  the  heaven- 
ly Canaan.'  Henry.  It  was  peculi- 
arly to  the  honor  of  Caleb  that  he 
maintained  such  an  unbending  fide- 
lity to  God  when  his  brethren  and 
associates  in    that   service,  except 


Ac  C.  1444.] 

day  saying,  "'Surely  the  land 
"whereon  thy  feet  have  trodden 
shall  be  thine  inheritance,  and 
tiiy  children's  for  ever ;  because 
thou  hast  wholly  followed  the 
Lord  my  God. 

10  And  now,  behold,  the 
Lqud  hath  kept  rae  alive,  °as  he 
said,  these  forty  and  five  year.«j, 
even  since  the  Lord  spake  this 
word  unto  Moses,  while  the  chil. 

m  Num.  14.  23.  21     Deul.  1.  36.  ch    1.  3.         ii  Kee 
Num.  13.2-2.         o  Mim.  11.  3ii. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


119 


Joshua,  proved  so  faithless  and  faint- 
hearted. '  It  adds  much  to  the  praise 
of  following-  God,  if  we  adhere  to 
him  when  others  desert  and  decline 
from  him.'  JJenry. 

9.  Moses  sware  on  that  day.  See 
Num.  14.  24.  Deut.  1.  36.  In  these 
passages  God  himself  is  the  speaker ; 
and  it  is  he  that  swears  according  to 
the  words  here  recited.  But  as 
Moses  was  the  organ  through  whom 
the  assured  promise  was  conveyed, 
the  swearing  is  attributed  to  him. 
IT  The  land  tvherein  thy  feet  have 
trodden.  Not  the  land  of  Canaan  in 
general,  but  this  particular,  this 
identical  district.     See  on  v.  6. 

10.  Hath  kept  me  alive.  Heb.  'hath 
vivified  me.'  See  on  ch.  6.  25.  Ac- 
cording to  our  previous  interpreta- 
tion it  implies  that  he  was  kept  alive, 
when,  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
things,  he  would  have  been  dead  ; 
that  it  was  in  despite  of  the  tenden- 
cies of  nature  to  decay  and  dissolu- 
tion that  he  now  stood  among  the 
living  m  so  much  health  and  strength. 
His  present  existence  was  a  kind  of 
resurrection  from  the  dead.  The 
longer  we  live,  the  more  sensible 
should  we  be  of  the  special  uphold- 
ing hand  of  Providence  in  prolong- 
ing our  frail  and  forfeited  lives. 
IT  These  forty  and  five  years.  Of 
which  thirty-eight  were  spent  in  th.e 
wilderness,  and  seven  in  the  prose- 
cution of  the  wars  in  Canaan,  U 
Wandered  in  the  wilderness.  Heb. 
*  walked.'  As  a  punishment  for 
tkeir  unbelief  and  rebellion.     If  Lo^ 


dren  of  Israel  wandered  in  the 
wilderness :  and  now,  lo,  1  am 
this  day  fourscore  and  five  years 
old. 

11  p As  yet  I  am  as  strong  this 
day,  as  /  was  ui  the  day  that 
Moses  sent  nne  :  as  my  strength 
was  then,  even  so  is  my  strength 
now,  for  war,  both  •ito  go  out, 
and  to  come  in. 

12  Now   therefore   give   me 

p  See  Deut.  34.  7.        q  Deiil.  31.  2. 


I  am,  this  day  four  score  and  five 
years  old.  Heb.  '  a  son  of  four-score 
and  five  years.'  Caleb  was  now, 
with  the  exception  of  Joshua,  not 
only  the  oldest  man  in  all  Israel,  but 
was  twenty  years  older  than  any  of 
them ;  for  all  that  were  above  twenty 
when  he  was  forty,  had  died  in  the 
wilderness.  '  It  was  fit,  therefore, 
that  this  phoenix  of  his  age  should 
have  some  particular  marks  of  honor 
put  upon  him'  in  the  dividing  of  the 
land.'     Henry. 

11.  .As  my  strength  was  then,  so  is 
my  strength  now.  My  ability  not 
only  for  counsel,  but  for  action,  re- 
mains unimpaired  ;  I  am  as  compe- 
tent as  ever  for  the  hard  services 
and  difficult  exploits  of  war.  He 
mentions  this,  both  to  give  glory  to 
God  who  was  the  strength  as  well  as 
the  length  of  his  days,  and  also  to 
intimate  to  Joshua  that  it  would  not 
be  throwing  away  a  portion  upon  a 
weak  old  man  who  was  unequal  to  the 
task  of  either  taking  or  retaining  it. 
On  the  contrary,  even  if  it  were. to 
be  taken  from  the  hands  of  giants, 
and  should  require  the  utmost  prow- 
ess, energy  and  nerve  of  the  youth- 
ful warrior,  he  was  still  able  to  put 
it  forth.  He  was  not  afraid  to  cope 
at  eighty  with  the  same  power  which 
he  would  readily  have  encountered 
at  forty. — If  we  would  make  sure  of 
a  '  green  old  age  '  let  us  begin  early 
to  follow  the  Lord  fully.  It  is  usu- 
ally the  excesses  of  youth  which 
bring  on  the  premature  decay  of  the 
bodily  and  mental  powers.  It  is  pre- 


no 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1445. 


this  mountain,  whereof  the  Lord    cities  were   great  and   fenced 
spake    in    that   clay  ;    for    thou 
heardest  in  that  day  how    "^the 
Anakims  ipere  there,  and  thatthe 


r  Num.  13.  23.  3<. 


cisely  that  sobriety,  temperance,  and 
moderation  which  religion  enjoins, 
that  secures  to  us  the  longest  contin- 
uance and  the  highest  enjoyment  of 
life,  health,  and  strength  ;  and  these 
habits  cannot  begin  to  be  practised 
too  early.  IT  Both  to  go  out  and  to 
come  in.  A  proverbial  phrase,  equiv- 
alent to  performing  all  the  duties  be- 
longing to  an  othcial  station.  See 
on  Num.  27.  17. 

12.  Give  me  this  mountain.  Not 
any  particular  mountain,  but  this 
mountainous  tract  or  region;  for 
such  was  eminently  the  country 
about  Hebron.  He  does  not  men- 
tion and  cannot  mean  the  city  of 
Hebron  alone,  which  had  been  be- 
fore taken  by  Joshua,  but  he  includ- 
ed in  his  request  all  the  adjacent 
countrv,  to  the  caves  and  strong 
holds  of  which  the  Anakim  had  re- 
tired, and  where  they  were  now 
abiding  in  considerable  force.  The 
city  itself  fell  afterwards  to  the  lot 
of 'the  Levites,  ch.  21.  13,  and  be- 
came a  city  of  refuge,  ch.  20.  7. 
'  When  Caleb  had  it,  he  contented 
himself  with  the  country  about  it, 
and  cheerfully  gave  the  city  to  the 
priests,  the  Lord's  ministers;  think- 
ing it  could  not  be  better  bestowed, 
no,  not  upon  his  own  children,  nor 
that  it  was  the  less  his  own  for  being 
thus  devoted  to  God.'  Henry.  He- 
bron, at  a  still  later  period,  became  a 
royal  city,  being  made  in  the  begin- 
niiig  of  iDavid's  reign  the  metropo- 
lis of  the  king  dom  of  Judah.  IT 
For  thou  heardes  t — how  the  Anakims 
were  there.  This,  it  would  seem, 
was  the  place  from  which  more  than 
any  other  the  spies  took  their  unfa- 
vorable report;  for  here  they  met 
with  the  sons  of  Anak,  the  sight  of 
whom  so  much  intimidated  them. 
'  We  may  suppose  that  Caleb,  ob- 
serving what  stress  they  laid  upon 


"if  so  be  the  Lord  will  he  with 
me,  then  vl  shall  be  able  to  drive 
them  out,  as  the  Lord  said. 

s  I's.    IS.  32.  3i.     &60.  12.     Rom.  8.  31.     l  ch.  1.5. 


the  difficulty  of  conquering  Hebron, 
a  city  garrisoned  by  the  gianis,  and 
how  from  thence  they  inferred  that 
the  conquest  of  the  whole  land  was 
utterly  impracticable,  bravely  de- 
sired to  have  that  city  which  they 
called  invincible  assigned  to  himself 
for  his  own  portion ;  '  1  will  under- 
take to  deal  with  that,  and  if  1  can- 
not get  it  for  my  inheritance,  I  will 
do  without.'  '  Well,'  said  Moses, 
'it  shall  be  thine  own  then,  win  it 
and  wear  it.'  Henry.  Such  is  the 
spirit  of  the  true  christian  hero.  All 
indeed  are  not  such,  but  some  are  ; 
and  he  who  is,  is  not  only  willing, 
but  forward,  in  the  strength  of  God, 
to  encounter  the  most  formidable 
enemies  and  the  most  apparently  in- 
superable obstacles  in  w^orkiug  out 
the  will  of  his  heavenly  Master.  If 
there  is  any  enterprise  of  peculiar 
difficulty  to  be  undertaken,  or  any 
post  of  especial  danger  to  be  occu- 
pied, he  is  prompt  to  volunteer  his 
services  for  the  occasion..  Not  that 
he  courts  the  perilous  work,  merely 
for  the  purpose  of  a  vain-glorious 
display  of  courage  or  skill,  t>ut 
because  he  wishes  to  honor  God  by 
his  faith-;  to  give  him  an  opportu- 
nity, through  such  an  humble  instru- 
ment, to  glorify  his  great  name  and 
confound  the  infidelity  of  his  ene- 
mies and  his  timorous  friends.  In 
one  who  feels  the  missionary  im- 
pulse, this  Caleb-like  spirit  will 
prompt  to  a  fearless  survey  of  the 
whole  field,  and  if  there  be  any  spot 
which  is  at  once  promising  and  yet 
appalling,  desirable  and  yet  dread- 
ful ;  a  spot  where  the  greatest  force 
of  heathen  opposition  is  concentrat- 
ed; that  is  the  spot  which  will  be 
really  most  attractive  in  his  eye. 
Its  difficulties  and  dangers  will  be 
among  its  highest  recommendations. 
This  spirit  shone  conspicuously  in 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XV. 


121 


13  And  Joshua  "blessed  him, 
*and  gave  unto  Caleb  the  son  of 
Jephunneh,  Hebron  for  aninher- 

.  itance. 

14  >  Hebron  therefore  becanne 
the  inheritance  of  Caleb  the  son  of 
Jephunneh  the  Kenezite  unto  this 
day  ;  because  that  he 'wholly  fol- 
lowed  the  Lord  God  of  Israel. 

.1  ch.  22  6  X  ch  10.  37.  &  li.  13.  Jiulg.  1.  20. 
See  ch.  21.  II,  12.  1  Chr,  6.  5.5,  56.  y  ch.  21.  12. 
z  V.  8,  9. 

Paul  in  the  whole  course  of  his  life 
and  labors,  and  on  one  occasion  we 
see  it  nobly  expressing  itself  in  so 
many  words,  when  he  says  of  Ephe- 
sus,  '  A  great  and  effectual  door  is 
opened  unto  me,  and  many  adver- 
saries.^ The  '  adversaries '  were  no 
doubt  among  the  special  induce- 
ments that  prompted  him  to  enter 
that  field.  It  is  cause  of  gratitude 
to  God  that  there  are  such  spirits 
still  to  be  found  in  the  world,  and 
that  as  long  as  there  shall  be  sons  of 
Anak  on  earth  to  intimidate  the 
fearful,  there  shall  be  also  sons  of 
Caleb  to  grapple  with  and  destroy 
them.  ^[  If  so  be  the  Lord  will  be 
with  me,  &c.  Chal.  'perhaps  the 
"Word  of  the  Lord  will  be  for  my 
help.'  The  ardor  of  a  bold  native 
temperament  is  here  moderated  by 
jhe  workings  of  a  spirit  of  con- 
scious unworthiness  and  of  humble 
dependance  on  the  divine  blessing. 
Caleb  in  these  words  virtually  ac- 
knowledges that  the  battle  is  not  to 
the  strong  nor  the  race  to  the  swift, 
and  that  the  favorable  presence  of 
God  with  us  in  our  undertakings  is 
all  in  all  to  our  success.  The  ex- 
pression is  not  to  be  understood  as 
implying  any  doubt  in  his  mind  of 
God's  readiness  to  assist  him,  but 
simply  as  a  disclaimer  of  exclusive 
reliance  on  his  own  unaided  prow- 
ess. It  is  the  language  of  one  who 
feels  that  an  arm  of  flesh,  even  all 
the  forces  of  Israel  combined,  with- 
out the  blessing  of  heaven,  would  be  , 
powerless  to  accomplish  the  desired 
result. 

11* 


15  And  =^the  name  of  Hebron 
before  loas  Kirjath-arba  ;  which 
Arha  was  a  great  man  among 
the  Anakims.  ^^^d  the  land 
had  rest  from  war. 

CHAPTER  XV. 
'^PHIS  then  was  the  lot  of  the 
tribe  of  the  children  of  Ju- 

a  G«n.  23.  2.     ch.  15.  13.        b  ch.  H.  23. 


13.  And  Joshua  blessed  him.  That 
is,  not  only  granted  his  request,  but 
applauded  his  brave  and  enterpris- 
ing spirit,  and  implored  the  blessing 
of  God  upon  him  in  reference  to  his 
proposed  undertaking. 

14.  Because  that  he  wholly  follow- 
ed the  Lord  God  of  Israel.  '  Singu- 
lar piety  shall  be  crowned  with  sin- 
gular favors.'    Henry. 

15.  Kirjath-arba.  That  is,  the 
city  of  Arba,  the  name  of  an  indi- 
vidual distinguished  either  for  his  re- 
markable bodily  statureand  strength, 
or  his  power  and  authority,  or  per- 
haps both,  among  the  Anakims.  IT 
And  the  land  had  rest  from  war. 
There  were  no  more  general  wars. 
The  inhabitants  of  Canaan  could 
make  no  longer  any  head  against 
the  power  of  Israel.  Being  dis- 
jointed and  broken  they  could  no 
longer  rally  in  such  force  as  to 
make  it  necessary  for  the  avhole 
Israelitish  body  to  go  against  them 
in  a  general  campaign.  This  may 
be  considered  as  the  genuine  sense 
of  the  expression,  though  it  be  ad- 
mitted that  there  were  afterwards 
particular  wars,  arising  from  the 
attempts  of  each  tribe  to  expel  the 
ancient  inhabitants  still  remaining 
in  their  respective  territories. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

1.  This  then  was  the  lot,  &c.  The 
account  of  the  partition  of  the  land 
which  was  commenced  ch.  14.  1 — 5, 
was  interrupted  by  the  mention  of 
Caleb's  application  to  Joshua  for 
Hebron  as  his  inheritance,  and  that 


122 


JOSHUA, 


[A/C.  1443. 


dah  by  their  families ;  ''eiien  to 
the  border  of  Edom,  the  '^wilder- 


fa  Num.  33.  36. 


being  dispatched,  the  writer  here  re- 
turns from  the  digression,  and  re- 
sumes the  thread  oi'  his  narrative  re- 
specting the  allotment  of  the  tribes. 
On  this  part  of  the  history  it  may  be 
remarked,  (1.)  That  the  business 
of  casting  lots  on  this  occasion  was 
undoubtedly  conducted  with  great 
seriousness  and  solemnity,  and  with 
devout  prayer  to  God,  whose  is  the 
disposal  of  the  lot,  that  he  would 
overrule  it  all  to  his  own  glory  and 
the  accomplishment  of  his  wise  pur- 
poses. (2.)  That  although  an  exact 
survey  of  the  land  was  not  taken  till 
some  time  after  this,  ch.  18.  4,  5,  yet 
some  general  view  of  it  must  have 
been  obtained,  and  some  rude 
draught  have  been  spread  before 
ihem,  sufficient,  at  least,  to  have  en- 
abled them  to  divide  the  land  into 
nine  and  a  half  portions,  v/ith  more 
or  less  accuracy.  (3.)  That  the  re- 
spective lots  did  not.  at  this  time,  so 
peremptorily  and  unchangeably  de- 
termine the  bounds  of  each  tribe,  that 
they  could  not  subsequently  be  either 
contracted  or  enlarged,  or  otherwise 
altered  ;  for  it  is  evident  from  what 
follows,  ch.  19,  9,  that  after  Judah's 
lot  was  fixed,  Simeon's  was  taken 
out  of  it.  It  would  seem, in  fact,  that 
the  first  designation  of  the  portions 
of  the  several  tribes  was  quite  vague 
and  general,  but  that  the  liujits  of 
each  were  afterwards  adjusted  and 
settled  by  Joshua  and  the  elders,  with 
as  much  precision  as  the  nature  of 
the  case  would  admit.  (4  )  As  to 
the  manner  in  which  the  casting  of 
lots  took  place  on  this  occasion, 
though  we  are  not  expressly  inform- 
ed, yet  the  probability  is,  that  after 
the  "land  was  geographically  divided 
into  the  requisite  number  of  portions, 
these  portions  properly  labelled,  or 
otherwise  distinguished,  were  put 
into  one  urn  or  pot,  and  the  names  of 
the  several  tribes  into  another  -,  that 
then  Joshua,  for  example,  put  his 
hand  into  the  vessel  containing  the 
names  of  the  tribes  and  took  out  one 


ness  of  Zin  southward  was  the 
uttermost  part  of  the  south  coast. 


slip,  while  Eleazer  took  out  one  from 
the  other  vessel,  in  which  the  names 
of  the  portions  were  put ;  whereupon 
the  name  drawn  and  the  portion 
drawn  being  read,  it  was  at  once  de- 
termined what  portion  was  to  be  ap- 
propriated to  such  a  tribe ;  and  so  of 
the  rest.  It  is  probable,  however, 
that  this  plan  was  adopted,  on  thepre- 
se?it  occasion,  on]y  in  resipecltolheiwo 
large  and  principal  tribes  of  Judah 
and  Joseph,  as  they  were  now  at  Gil- 
gal,  and  the  division  certainly  was 
not  completed  till  after  they  arrived 
at  Shilo,  ch.  18.  1,  2.  In  reference, 
therefore,  to  this  mode  of  drawing 
out  the  lots  from  the  bottom  of  the 
urns,  the  phraseology  of  a  lot's  '  com- 
ing up'  or  '  coming'  forth,'  became 
established.  If  The  Uit  of  the  tribe 
of  the  children  of  Judah.  By  the  spe- 
cial disposition  of  providence  the  lot 
of  Judah  came  up  first,  in  token  of 
the  pre-eminence  of  that  tribe  over 
the  rest.  This  distinction  hereby  re- 
ceived the  divine  sanction.  IT  Even 
to  the  border  of  Edom.  The  geogra- 
phy of-the  sacred  writings  presents 
many  diliiculries,  occasioned  by  the 
many  changes  which  the  civil  state 
of  the  promised  land  has  undergone, 
especially  for  the  last  two  thousand 
years.  Many  of  the  ancient  towns 
and  villages  have  had  their  names 
so  totally  changed,  that  their  former 
appellations  are  no  longer  discern- 
ible ;  several  lie  buried  under  their 
own  ruins  ;  and  others  have  been  so 
long  destroyed  that  not  one  vestige  of 
them  remains.  On  these  accounts,  it 
is  very  difficult  to  ascertain  the  situ- 
ation of  many  of  the  places,  mention- 
ed in  this  and  the  following  chapters. 
Yet  the  ancient  appellations  of  many 
of  these  localities  may  still  be  detect- 
ed in  modified  forms  under  the  mod- 
ern names,  and  the  sites  of  a  greater 
number  of  them  satisfactorily  deter- 
mined, than  would  at  first  seem  prac- 
ticable. This  portion  of  the  sacred 
story  cannot  of  course  be  so  interest- 
ing, or  so  profitable  to  the  general 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XV. 


123 


2  And  their  south  border  was 
from  the  shore  of  the  salt  sea, 
from  the  bay  that  looketh  south- 
ward : 

3  And  it  went  out  to  the  south 
side  Ho  Maaleh-acrabbim,  and 
passed  along  to  Zin,  and  as- 
cended  up  on  the  south  side  un- 
to Kadesh-barnea,  and  passed 
along  to  Hezron,  and  went  up 
to  Adar,  and  fetched  a  compass 
10  Karkaa  : 

4  From  thence  it  passed  "^to- 

c  Num.  34.  4         d  Num.  31.  5. 

reader  as  details  of  another  charac- 
ter, and  we  shafl  not  therefore  en- 
large upon  it  in  our  remarks,  but  as 
many  of  the  places  here  mentioned, 
are  frequently  alluded  to  in  the  sub- 
sequent history  and  the  prophets, 
this  enumeration  is  important,  as  en- 
abling us  oftentimes  to  determine 
their  situation ;  and  it  need  not  be 
observed  that  the  geography  of  a 
country  is  of  the  utmost  importance 
in  illustrating  itshistonj.  The  quaint 
remark  of  Henry,  therefore,  on  this 
subject  is  deserving  of  attention,  that 
'  we  are  not  to  skip  over  these  chap- 
ters of  hard  names,  as  useless  and  not 
to  be  regarded;  where  God  has  a 
mouth  to  speak  and  a  hand  to  write, 
we  should  find  an  ear  to  hear  and  an 
eye  to  read.'  As  it  respects  the  lot 
of  Judah,  as  here  marked  out,  it  was 
bounded  on  the  south,  by  the  wilder- 
ness of  Sin  and  the  southern  coast  of 
the  Salt  Sea ;  on  the  east  by  that  sea, 
reaching  to  the  place  at  which  it  re- 
ceives the  waters  of  the  Jordan ;  on 
the  north,  by  a  line  drawn  nearly 
parallel  to  Jerusalem,  across  from 
the  northern  extremity  of  the  Salt 
Sea  to  the  south  boundary  of  the  Phi- 
listines and  to  the  Mediterranean 
Sea ;  which  sea  was  its  western 
boundary,  as  far  as  the  river  of 
Egypt.  Joshua  is  particular  in  giv- 
ing the  limits  of  this  tribe,  as  being 
the  first,  the  most  numerous,  the  most 
important,  that  which  was  to  furnish 
the  kings  of  Judea,  that  in  which 


ward  Azmon,  and  went  out  unto 
the  river  of  Egypt  ;  and  the  go- 
ings out  of  that  coast  were  at  the 
sea :  this  shall  be  your  south 
coast. 

5  And  the  east  border  was 
the  salt  sea,  even  unto  the  end 
of  Jordan  :  and  their  border  in 
the  north  quarter  urns  from  the 
bay  of  the  sea,  at  the  uttermost 
part  of  Jordan  : 

6  And  the  border  went  up  to 
^Beth-hogla,  and   passed   along 


pure  religion  was  to  be  preserved, 
and  that  from  which  the  Messiah 
was  to  spring.  As  this  portion,  how- 
ever, contained  nearly  half  the  south- 
ern part  of  Canaan,  it  was  after- 
wards found  too  extensive,  and  the 
possessions  of  Simeon  and  Dan  were 
taken  out  of  it. 

2.  From  the  bay  that  looketh  south- 
toard.  Heb. '  the  tongue,'  i.  e.  a  gulf, 
bay,  or  arm  of  the  sea.  The  like 
phrase  occurs  Is.  11.  15,  '  The  Lord 
shall  utterly  destroy  Me  tongue  of  the 
Egyptian  Sea.'  The  southern  extre- 
mity of  the  Dead  Sea,  as  laid  down 
on  the  best  maps,  answers  in  its  form 
to  this  description.  The  term  among 
us  is  generally  applied  to  a  jutting 
promontory  of  land. 

3.  Maalch-acrabbvfn.  Heb.  'the 
ascent  of  (the  mount  of)  scorpions ;' 
probably  so  called  from  the  multi- 
tude of  those  animals  found  there. 
'^Kadesh-barnea,  Called  En-mish- 
pat,  Gen.  14.  7.  It  was  on  the  edge 
of  the  wilderness  of  Paran,  and  about 
twenty-four  miles  from  Hebron. 
Here  Miriam  the  sister  of  Moses  and 
Aaron  died;  and  here  Moses  and 
Aaron  rebelled  against  the  Lord; 
whence  the  place  was  called  Meri- 
bah-Kadesh,  or  contention  of  Kadesh. 

5.  Unto  the  end  of  Jordan.  The 
mouth  of  Jordan;  the  place  where  it 
discharges  itself  into  the  Dead  Sea. 

6.  Beth-arabah.  Heb.  '  house  of 
solitude  ;'  perhaps  so  called  from  the 
loneliness   and    dreariness   of   the 


124 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


by  the  north  of  Beth-arabah  ; 
and  the  border  went  up  '"to  the 
stone  of  Bohan  the  son  of  Reu- 
ben  : 

7  And  the  border  went  up  to- 
ward Debir  from  "the  valley  of 
Achor,  and  so  northward  look- 
ing toward  Gilgal,  that  is  before 
the  going  up  to  Adummim, 
which  is  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river  :  and  the  border  passed  to- 
ward the  waters  of  En-shemesh, 

fell.  18   17.  gch.  1.-26. 


place.  "^  The  stone  of  Bohan.  A 
Reubenite,  and  probabl}^  a  distin- 
guished commander  of  the  forces  of 
that  tribe  which  came  over  the  Jor- 
dan. It  is  not  unlikely  that  he  died 
in  the  camp  at  Gilgal,  and  was  buri- 
ed not  far  off,  under  the  stone  here 
alluded  to. 

7.  En-shemesh.  Heb.  '  fountain  of 
the  sun;'  a  place  eastward  of  Jeru- 
salem, on  the  confines  of  Judah  and 
Benjamin.  Some  conjecture  that  it 
was  a  fountain  dedicated  by  the  Ca- 
naaniies  to  the  sun.  IT  En-rogcl. 
Heb.  '  fountain  of  the  fallen ;'  sup- 
posed by  some  to  have  been  the  same 
as  the  Pool  of  Siloam;  by  others 
placed  further  down  the  valley,  near 
the  southeast  of  Jerusalem,  and  not 
far  from  what  is  now  called  the 
Fou7itainof  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

8.  The  valley  of  the  son  of  Hinnom. 
A  valley  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusa- 
lem, lying  probably  on  the  south  of 
mount  Zion,  and  consequently  envi- 
roning the  ancient  city  on  the  south 
side.  Who  this  Hinnom  was,  or  why 
it  was  called  his  valley,  is  not  known. 
This  valley,  or,  more  properly 
speaking,  ravine,  is  only  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  breadth,  and 
is  stated  to  have  been  in  ancient 
times  exceedingly  verdant  and  shad- 
ed with  trees.  But  from  the  inhu- 
man practices  of  the  Hebrews,  in 
sacrificing  their  infants  at  a  place  in 
it  called  Tophet,  the  whole  valley 
was  denounced  by  Jehovah,  and  pol- 


and  the  goings  out  thereof  were 
at  '^En-rogel : 

8  And  the  border  went  up 
iby  the  valley  of  the  son  of  Hin- 
nom, unto  the  south  side  of  the 
''Jebusite ;  the  same  is  Jerusa- 
lem :  and  the  border  went  up 
to  the  top  of  the  mountain  that 
lieth  before  the  valley  of  Hin- 
nom westward,  which  is  at  the 
end  lof  the  valley  of  the  giants 
northward  : 

1)  2  Sam.  17.  17.     I  Kin.  I.  9.     i  ch   18.  16.    2  Kin. 

23.  10.    Jer.  13.  2  6.        k  ch.  18.  28.    JuJg.  1.  21.    & 
19   10.        IcU.  18.  16. 


luted  by  Josiah,  by  ordure  and  dead 
men's  bones  and  every  kind  of  filth 
from  the  city.  After  the  captivity, 
the  Jews  regarded  this  spot  with  ab- 
horrence, on  account  of  the  abomi- 
nations which  had  been  practised 
there,  and  following  the  example  of 
Josiah,  threw  into  it  the  carcases  of 
animals  and  the  dead  bodies  of  male- 
factors, and  every  species  of  refuse. 
To  prevent  the  pestilence  which  such 
a  mass  would  occasion,  if  left  to 
putrefy,  constant  files  were  kept  up 
in  the  valley,  in  order  to  consume 
what  was  thrown  into  it.  It  became 
therefore  a  striking  type  of  Hell,  or 
that  part  of  Hades  where  the)^  sup- 
posed the  souls  of  wicked  men  were 
punished  in  eternal  fire.  Under  this 
idea,  it  was  often  called  Gehenna  of 
fire;  the  name '  Gehenna'  being  form- 
ed from  the  Hebrew  t3:n  J^"'^  ^'^-- 
hinnom,  valley  of  Hinnom.  See 
Barnes'  Notes  on  Mat.  6.  22.  ^ 
Valley  of  the  giants.  Or,  Heb.  '  of 
the  Rephaim;'  on  which  word  see  on 
Gen.  6.  4.  Deut.  2.  7,  11.  This  val- 
ley lay  about  three  miles  to  the  south- 
west of  Jerusalem,  and  appearsto  have 
been  so  called  from  its  ancient  gigan- 
tic inhabitants.  It  was  the  theatre  of 
several  signal  victories  obtained  by 
David  over  the  Philistines,  and  was 
also  famed  for  its  fertility  and  its  ex- 
cellent crops  of  corn.  Is,  17.  5.  The 
road  from  Jerusalem,  says  Maund- 
rell,  passes  through  this  valley,  and 
in  it  are  pointed  out  to  the  traveller 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XV. 


125 


9  And  the  border  was  drawn 
from  the  top  of  the  hill  unto 
"Hhe  fountain  of  the  water  of 
Nephtoah,  and  went  out  to  the 
cities  of  mount  Ephron  ;  and  the 
border  was  drawn  "to  Baalah, 
which  is  °Kirjath-jearim  : 

10  And  the  border  compass- 
ed from  Baalah  westward  unto 
mount  Seir,  and  passed  along 
unto  the  side  of  mount  Jearim 
(which  is  Chesalon)  on  the  north 
side,  and  went  down  to  Beth-she- 
mesh,  and  passed  on  to  pTimnah ; 

11  And  the  border  went  out 
unto  the  side  of  "^Ekron  north- 
ward :  and  the  border  was  drawn 
to  Shicron,  and  passed  along  to 
mount  Baalah,  and  went  out  un- 
to Jabneel ;  and  the  goings  out 
of  the  border  were  at  the  sea. 

m  ch.  18.  15.  n  Chr.  13.  6.  o  Jndg.  18.  12. 

p  Oen.  S8.  13.     Judg.  14.  1.        q  ch.  19.  43. 


the  ruined  tower  of  Simeon,  the 
Greek  monastery  of  Elias,  and  the 
tomb  of  Rachel.  The  valley  itself 
is  now  only  partially  cultivated,  and 
even  those  parts  which  are  sown  with 
Corn  yield  but  a  comparatively  scan  ty 
crop.  '  He  turneth  a  fruitful  land  in- 
to barrenness  for  the  wickedness  of 
them  that  dwell  therein.' 

13.  And  unto  Caleb  he  gave.  Or 
Heb.  'had  given.'  The^ historian 
seems  pleased  Math  every  occasion 
to  make  mention  of  Caleb,  and  to  do 
him  honor,  because  he  honored  the 
Lord  by  following  him  fully.  Re- 
specting this  grant  to  Joshua,  see 
notes  on  the  preceding  chapter,  v. 
6—15. 

14.  Drove  thence  the  sons  of  Anak. 
This  is  doubtless  menti^ed  here  to 
show,  that  the  confidence  he  had  be- 
fore expressed  of  success  in  this  af- 
fair, through  the  presence  of  God 
with  him,  did  not  deceive  him.  The 
event  answered  all  his  expectations  ; 
and  it  is  here  put  on  record  at  once 


12  And  the  west  border  was 
no  the  great  sea,  and  the  coast 
thereof:  this  is  the  coast  of  the 
children  of  Judah  round  about, 
according  to  their  families. 

13  IT  «And  unto  Caleb  the 
son  of  Jephunneh  he  gave  a  part 
among  the  children  of  Judah, 
according  to  the  commandment 
of  the  Lord  to  Joshua,  euew  'the 
city  of  Arba  the  father  of  Anak, 
which  city  is  Hebron. 

14  And  Caleb  drove  thence 
"the  three  sons  of  Anak,  ^She- 
shai,  and  Ahiman,  and  Talmai, 
the  children  of  Anak. 

15  And  yhe  went  up  thence 
to  the  inhabitants  of  Debir  :  and 
the  name  of  Debir  before  was 
Kirjath-sepher. 

16  IT  ^And   Caleb   said,    He 

r  T.  47.  Num.  34.  6,  7.  s  ch.  14  13.  t  ch. 
14.  1-5.  u  Judg.  1.  10,  20.  I  Num.  13.  22.  y  ch. 
10.  38.  Judg.  1.  11    I  Judg.  1.  12. 


to  the  praise  of  Caleb,  to  the  glory 
of  God,  who  never  disappoints  those 
that  trust  in  him,  and  for  the  en- 
couragement of  believers  in  all  ages. 
On  the  sense  of  the  phrase  *  drove 
out,'  see  on  Judg.  1.  10. 

15.  Debir — Kirjath-sepher.  These 
names,  the  former  signifying  a  loord 
or  oracle,  the  latter,  the  city  of  a  book, 
have  led  some  commentators  to  sup- 
pose that  this  city  was  a  seat  of  learn- 
ing, or  a  repository  of  the  records  of 
the  ancient  inhabitants.  It  is  not  in- 
deed probable  that  writing  and  books, 
in  our  sense  of  the  words,  were  very 
common  among  the  Canaanites ;  but 
some  method  of  recording  events 
and  a  sort  of  learning  was  doubtless 
cultivated  in  those  regions, 

16.  And  Caleb  said,  He  that  smiteth, 
&c.  We  cannot  think  so  ill  of  Ca- 
leb, as  to  suppose  that  this  proposi- 
tion proceeded  either  from  cowardice 
or  sloth.  He  did  not  invite  another 
to  achieve  a  difficult  and  dangerous 
exploit,  because  he  shrunk  from  it 


126 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


that  smiteth  Kirjath-sepher,  and 
taketh  it,  to  him  will  I  give 
Achsah  my  daughter  to  wife. 

17  And  ^Othniel  the  ^son  of 
Kenaz,  the  brother  of  Caleb,  took 
it :  and  he  gave  him  Achsah  liis 
daughter  to  wife. 

a  Judg.  1.  13.  *  3.  9. 


32   12.     ch.  II.  6. 


himself.  He  had  already  evinced 
too  much  valor  to  allow  of  the  sap- 
position.  But  his  generous  spirit 
would  not  permit  him  to  monopolise 
all  the  glory  of  these  victories.  He 
would  give  occasion  to  some  of  his 
younger  brethren  to  signalise  their 
prowess  also  ;  and  to  strengthen  the 
inducement,  he  makes  a  proffer  of 
his  daughter  in  marriage  to  the  suc- 
cessful combatant.  Such  an  achieve- 
ment would  be  presumptive  evi- 
dence that  the  man  was  worthy  of 
her,  and  one  who  was  likely  to  de- 
serve well  of  his  country.  So  Saul, 
in  like  manner,  promised  his  daugh- 
ter in  marriage  to  him  who  should 
kill  Goliath,  1  Sam.  17,  25.  Fathers, 
in  ancient  times,  appear  to  have  had 
nearly  an  absolute  power  in  the  dis- 
posal of  their  daughters  in  marriage, 
as  we  learn  from  the  case  of  Laban, 
and  numerous  other  instances  men- 
tioned in  the  Scriptures.  Caleb,  how- 
ever, could  no  doubt  safely  presume 
upon  his  daughter's  preference  co- 
inciding with  his,  especially  when 
such  recommendations  existed  as 
were  supposed  in  the  very  nature  of 
the  case.  Deeds  of  valor  have  sel- 
dom failed,  in  any  age  of  the  world, 
to  prove  a  powerful  passport  to  the 
female  heart,  although  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  the  force  of  this  attraction 
will  diminish,  as  the  influence  of  a 
religion  of  peace  prevails  in  the 
world. 

17.  Othniel,  the  son  of  Kenaz,  the 
brother  of  Caleb,  took  it.  It  was  Ke- 
naz, and  not  Othniel,  who  was  the 
brother,  and,  as  appears  from  Judg. 
1.  13,  the  younger  brother  of  Caleb  ; 
otherwise  the  marriage  would  have 
been  unlawful,  or  at  least  of  question- 
able propriety.    It  is  not  at  all  im- 


13  ''And  it  came  to  pass,  as 
she  came  unto  him,  that  she 
moved  him  to  ask  of  her  father 
a  field.  And  ''.she  lighted  off 
her  ass  ;  and  Caleb  said  unto  her, 
What  wouldst  thou? 

19  Who  answered,  Give  me 

c  Judg.  I    11.         d  See  Gcii.  524    64.     1  Sara.  25  23. 


probable,  that  Olhniel  previously 
entertained  an  affection  for  Ach- 
sah, so  that  he  could  not  brook  tlie 
thought  that  any  one  else  should  do 
more  to  win  her  favor,  than  he  him- 
self would.  This  prompted  him  un- 
hesitatingly to  take  up  the  gage 
which  Caleb  had  thrown  down.  The 
result  proved  that  he  was  worthy 
both  of  the  work  and  the  wages  ;  for 
he  became  afterwards  a  deliverer 
and  a  judge  in  Israel,  the  first  single 
person  who  presided  in  their  affairs, 
after  the  death  of  Joshua.  '  It  is 
good  for  those,  who  are  setting  out 
in  the  world,  to  begin  betimes  with 
that  which  is  great  and  good ;  that, 
excelling  in  service  when  they  are 
young,  they  may  excel  in  honor 
when  they  are  old.'     Henry. 

18.  U^e7i  she  came  unto  him.  Or, 
Heb.  'in  her  going;'  i.  e.  in  going 
from  her  father's  house  to  live  with 
her  husband.  IT  She  moved  him  to 
ask.  Gr.  '  she  took  counsel  with  him, 
saying,  I  will  ask.'  Being  on  the 
point  of  leaving  the  paternal  roof, 
sho  seized  the  opportunity,  when  a 
parent's  heart  Avould  naturally  be 
tender  and  yielding,  to  persuade  her 
husband  to  solicit  an  additional  boon 
of  her  father.  He  readily  consented 
to  the  request's  being  made,  but 
seemsto  have  preferred  that  it  should 
come  from  herself  rather  than  him, 
as  he  would  do  nothing  that  would 
appear  like  taking  advantage  of  Ca- 
leb's favorable  disposition  towards 
his  son-in-law.  Accordingly  the  peti- 
tion was  made  by  Achsah,  who,  in 
order  to  manifest  more  respect  and 
reverence  for  her  father,  alighted  off 
the  animal  on  which  she  rode,  and 
addressed  him  in  the  most  suppliant 
posture.     On  this  eastern  mode  of 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XV. 


127 


a  "^blessing  ;  for  thou  hast  given 
me  a  south  land,  give  me  also 
springs  of  water.  And  he  gave 
her  the  upper  springs,  and  the 
nether  springs. 

20  This  is  the  inheritance  of 
the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Judah 
according  to  their  families. 

21  And  the  uttermost  cities 
of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Ju- 
dah toward  the  coast  of  Edom 
southward  were  Kabzeel,  and 
"Eder,  and  Jagur, 

22  And  Kinah,  and  Dimonah, 
and  Adadah, 

23  And  Kadesh,  and  Hazor, 
and  Ithnan, 

e  Gen.  33.  11. 


expressing  respect,  see  '  Illustrations 
of  Scripture.'  p.  32,  282. 

19.  Give  me  a  blessing.  Do  me  an 
act  of  kindness,  grant  me  a  special 
favor,  as  a  gift  is  sometimes  called 
a  blessing,  Gen,  33.  11.  2  Kings  5. 
15.  2  Cor.  9.  5.  Or,  she  calls  this  a 
blessing,  because  it  would  add  much 
to  the  comfort  of  her  settlement,  and 
she  was  sure,  since  she  married  not 
only  with  her  father's  consent,  but 
in  obedience  to  his  command,  he 
would  not  deny  her  his  blessing  IT 
Hast  given  me  a  south  land.  Which 
by  lying  exposed  to  the  burning  raj's 
of  the  sun,  and  to  the  sultry  south 
wmds,  was  comparatively  ill- watered 
and  barren.  IT  Give  me  also  springs 
of  water.  By  which  she  meant  not 
simply  gushing  springs  of  water, 
but  the  field  or  fields  in  which  they 
were  situated,  v.  18.  Chald.  '  Give 
me  a  place  moistened  with  water.' 
If  the  fields  belonged  to  one,  and  the 
springs  to  another,  she  would  of 
course  be  little  benefited  by  the  pos- 
session. IT  He  gave  her  the  upper 
springs  and  the  nether  springs.  Both 
higher  and  lower  ground ;  "tracts  of 
hill  and  dale,  well  watered.  An  allu- 
sion of  practical  bearing  is  sometimes 
made  to  this,  when  we  pray  for  spiri- 
tul  and  heavenly  blessings,  which 


24  Ziph,  and  Telem,  andBea- 
loth, 

25  And  Hazor,  Hadattah, 
and  Kerioth,  and  Hezron,  which 
is  Hazor, 

•^6  Amam,  and  Shema,  and 
Moladah, 

27  And  Hazar-gaddah,  and 
Heshmon,  and  Beth-palet, 

28  And  Hazar-shual,  and 
Beersheba,  and  Bizjothjah, 

29  BaalaJi,  and  Jim,  and  Azem, 

30  And  Eltolad,  and  Chesil, 
and  Hormah, 

31  And  fZiklag,  and  Mad- 
mannah,  and  Sansannah, 

32  And  Lebaoth,   and   ShiU 


f  1  Sam.  27.  > 


relate  to  our  souls  as  blessings  of  the 
upper  springs,  and  those  that  relate 
to  the  body  and  the  life  that  now 
is,  as  blessings  of  the  nether  springs. 
From  this  story  we  may  learn,  (1.) 
That  a  moderate  desire  for  the  com- 
forts and  conveniences  of  this  life  is 
no  breach  of  the  commandment^ 
'  Thou  shalt  not  covet.'  (2.)  That 
mutual  consultation  and  joint  agree- 
ment between  husbands  and  wives, 
as  touching  the  things  they  shall  seek 
pertaining  to  the  common  good  of 
themselves  and  their  families,  is  the 
surest  omen  of  success.  (3.)  -That 
parents  should  never  think  that  lost 
which  is  bestowed  upon  their  child- 
ren, for  their  advantage.  They  for- 
get themselves  and  their  relations, 
who  grudge  their  children  what  is 
convenient  for  them,  when  they  can 
conveniently  part  with  it. 

20.  This  is  the  inheritance,  &c. 
He  now  returns  to  the  description  of 
Judah's  inheritance,  from  the  digres- 
sion made  concerning  Caleb  and  his 
family,  in  the  preceding  verses. 

32.  4^.1  the  cities  are  twenty -nine. 
But  upon  an  exact  computation  there 
appears  to  be  thirty-eight.  The  rea- 
son of  the  discrepancy  doubtless  is, 
either  that  nine  of  them  were  after- 
wards alloted  to  Simeon,  or,  as  many 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444 


him,  and  Ain,  and  Rimmon  :  all 
the  cities  are  twenty  and  nine, 
with  their  villages  : 

33  And  in  the  valley,  &Esh- 
taol,  and  Zoreah,  and  Ashnah, 

34  And  Zanoah,  and  En-gan- 
nim,  Tappuah,  and  Enam, 

35  Jarmuth,  and  AduUam, 
Socoh,  and  Azekah, 

36  And  Sharaim,  and  Adi- 
thaim,  and  Gederah,  and  Gede- 
rothaim ;  fourteen  cities  with 
their  villages  : 

37  Zenan,  and  Hadashah, 
and  Migdal-gad, 

39  And  Dilean,  and  Mizpeh, 
''and  Joktheel, 

39  Lachish,  and  Bozkath, 
and  Eglon, 

40  And  Cabbon,  and  Lah- 
man,  and  Kithlish, 

41  And  Gederoth,  Beth-da- 
gon,  and  Namaah,  and  Makke- 
dah  ;  sixteen  cities  with  their 
villages  : 

42  Libnah,  and  Ether,  and 
Ashan, 

43  And  Jiphtah,  and  Ashnah, 
and  Nezib, 

44  And  Keilah,  and  Achzib, 
and  Mareshah  ;  nine  cities  with 
their  villages : 

45  Ekron,  with  her  towns 
and  her  villages : 

46  From  Ekron  even  unto 
the  sea,  all  that  lay  near  Ashdod, 
with  their  villages : 

47  Ashdod,  with  her  towns 
and  her  villages ;  Gaza,  with 
her  towns  and  her  villages,  unto 

g  Num.  13.  23.         h  2  Kings  U.  7. 

of  them  are  expressed  by  compound 
terms,  translators  may  have  combin- 
ed what  should  be  separated,  and  in 


ithe  river  of  Egypt,  and  ''the 
great  sea,  and  the  border  there- 
of:       ■ 

48  IT  And  in  the  mountains, 
Shamir,  and  Jattir,  and  Socoh, 

49  And  Dannah,  and  Kirjath- 
sannah,  which  is  Debir, 

50  And  Anab,  and  Eshtemoh, 
and  Anim, 

51  lAnd  Goshen,  and  Holon, 
and  Giloh ;  eleven  cities  with 
their  villages  : 

52  Arab,  and  Dumah,  and 
Eshean, 

53  And  Janum,  and  Beth-tap- 
puah,  and  Aphekah, 

54  And  Humtah,  and  "Kir- 
jath-arba  (which  is  Hebron)  and 
Zior  ;  nine  cities  with  their  vil- 
lages : 

55  Maon,  Carmel,  and  Ziph, 
and  Juttah, 

56  And  Jezreel,  and  Jok- 
deam,  and  Zanoah, 

57  Cain,  Gibeah,  and  Tim- 
nah ;  ten  cities  with  their  villages : 

58  Halhul,  Beth-zur,  and  Ge- 
dor, 

59  And  Maarath,  and  Beth- 
anoth,  and  Eltekon  ;  six  cities 
with  their  villages  : 

60  °Kirjath-baal  (which  is 
Kirjath-jearim)  and  Rabbah ; 
two  cities  with  their  villages  : 

61  In  the  wilderness,  Beth- 
arabah,  Middin,  and  Secacah, 

62  And  Nibshan,  and  the  city 
of  Salt,  and  En-gedi ;  six  cities 
with  their  villages. 

63  IT  As  for  the  Jebusites,  the 

i  V.  4.         k  Num.  Zi.  6.         1  ch.  10.  41.   &    11.  16. 
m  ch.  14.S15.  &  V.  13,        n  ch.  18.  14. 


one  or  two  instances  have  formed 
the  names  of  cities  out  of  epithets. 
63.   Tke  Jebusites — the  children  of 


A.  C.  1444.] 

inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  "the 
children  of  Judah  could  not  drive 
them  out :  pbut  the  Jebusites 
dwell  with  the  children  of  Judah 
at  Jerusalem  unto  this  day. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


129 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

^ND  the  lot  of  the  children  of 
Joseph  fell  from  Jordan  by- 
Jericho,  unto  the  water  of  Jer- 
icho, on  the  east,  lo  the  wilder, 
ness  that  goeth  up  from  Jericho 
throughout  mount  Beth-el, 

2  And  goeth  out  from  Beth-el 
to  ^Luz,  and  passeth  along  unto 
the  borders  of  A  re  hi  to  Ataroth, 

3  And  goeth  down  westward 
to  the  coast  of  Japhleti,  ^unto  the 
coast  of  Beth-horon  the  nether, 
and  to  -^Gezer :  and  the  goings 
out  thereof  are  at  the  sea. 

4  '^So  the  children  of  Joseph, 
Manasseh  and  Ephraim,  took 
their  inheritance. 

5  II  And  the  border  of  the 

oSeeJiidg.  1.  8,  21.  2  Sam.  5.  6.  p  Judg  1.  21. 
ach.18.  13.  Judg.  1.  26.  b  cli.  18.  13.  2Chr  8  5. 
c  1  Chr.  7    28       1  Kings  9.  15.        d  ch.  17.  14. 


Israel  could  not  drive  them  out.  Josh- 
ua had  before  taken  the  king  of  Jeru- 
salem, but  not  the  city.  The  part  from 
which  the  Jebusites  could  not  be  dis- 
lodged was  more  particularly  the 
strong  hold  of  Zion,  falling  within 
the  lot  of  Benjamin,  which  was  not 
finally  reduced  till  the  time  of  David, 
2  Sam.  5.  6 — 10.  As  precisely  the 
same  thing  is  said  of  the  children  of 
Benjamin,  Judg.  1.  21,  which  is  here 
said  of  the  children  of  Judah,  the  in- 
ference is  inevitable  thafpart  of  Jeru- 
salem was  in  the  lot  of  Judah,  and  part 
in  the  lot  of  Benjamin.  The  inability 
of  Israel  to  expel  these  Jebusites  was 
owing  solely  to  their  own  remissness 
and  unbelief.  If  they  had  attempted  it 
with  vigor  and  resolution,  if  they  had 
all  had  the  undaunted  spirit  of  Caleb, 
there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  God 
12 


children  of  Ephraim  according 
to  their  families  was  thus  :  even 
the  border  of  their  inheritance 
on  the  east  side  was  ^Ataroth- 
adar,  <^unto  Beth-horon  the  up- 
per ; 

6  And  the  border  went  out  to- 
ward the  sea  to  sJVIichmethah  on 
the  north  side  ;  and  the  border 
went  about  eastward  unto  Ta- 
anath-shiloh,  and  passed  by  it  on 
the  east  to  Janohah  ; 

7  And  it  went  down  from  Ja- 
nohah to  Ataroth,  ^and  to 
Naarath,  and  came  to  Jericho, 
and  went  out  at  Jordan. 

8  The  border  went  out  from 
Tappuah  westward  unto  the 
i river  Kanah  ;  and  the  goings 
out  thereof  were  at  the  sea. 
This  is  the  inheritance  of  the 
tribe  of  the  children  of  Ephraim 
by  their  families. 

9  And  ''the  separate  cities  for 
the  children  of  Ephraim   were 

ech.  18.13      f2Chr.  8.  5.      g  ch.  17.  7.      h  1  Chr 
7.  28.        i  cli.  17.  9.        k  ch.  17.  9. 


would  have  been  present  with  them 
to  crown  their  efforts  with  success. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

1.  The  children  of  Joseph.  K^hraiim 
and  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh. 
Their  portion,  whichwas  not  one,  bat 
divided  and  distinct,  lay  in  the  very 
heart  of  Canaan  extending  from  the 
Jordan  on  the  east,  to  the  Mediterra- 
nean on  the  west,  see  map.  11  jFell. 
Heb. '  came  out,  went  forth.'  i.  e.  out 
of  the  urn  or  vessel  from  which  it 
was  d  ra wn .  U  Ufito  the  water  of  Je  r  i- 
cho.  The  fountain  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  Jericho,  whose  waters 
were  healed  by  Elisha,  as  mentioned 
2  Kings  2. 19—22.  '^\  Mount  Beth-el. 
That  is,  the  mount  upon  or  near 
which  the  city  of  Bethel  was  situated. 
There  was  no  mountain  so  called. 


130 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


among  the  inheritance  of  t!ie 
children  of  Manasseh,  all  the  ci- 
ties with  their  villages. 

]0  lAnd  they  drave  not  out 
the  Canaanites  that  dwelt  in  Ge- 
zer  :  but  the  Canaanites  dwell 
among  the  Ephraimites  unto 
this  day,  and  serve  under  tri- 
bute. 

IJuilg.  1.29.     See  1  Kings  9. 16. 


10.  Drave  not  out  the  Canaanites. 
Yet  they  so  far  prevailed  against 
them  as  to  subject  them  to  tribute ; 
which  shows  that  with  proper  exer- 
tions they  might  have  extirpated 
them  entirely,"  and  that  they  were 
inexcusable  for  not  having  done  so. 
The  remarks  of  Josephus  undoubt- 
edly furnish  the  true  clue  to  their 
remissness.  '  After  this,  the  Israel- 
ites grew  effeminate  as  to  fighting 
any  more  against  their  enemies,  but 
applied  themselves  to  the  cultivation 
of  the  land,  which  producing  them 
great  plenty  and  riches,  ihey  neglect- 
ed the  regular  disposition  of  their 
settlement,  and  indulged  themselves 
in  luxury  and  pleasures.'  '  The 
Benjamites,  to  whom  belonged  Jeru- 
salem, permitted  xts  inhabitants  to 
pay  tribute ;  the  rest  of  the  tribes, 
imitating  Benjamin,  did  the  same  ; 
and  contenting  themselves  with  the 
tributes  that  were  paid  them,  per- 
mitted the  Canaanites  to  live  in 
peace.'  Ant.  B.  V.  ch.  2.  §  5,  7.  So 
it  may  be  suggested  that  Christians 
are  in  danger  of  putting  their  own, 
or  the  sins  of  others  under  tiibute, 
i.  e.  making  them  a  source  of  worldly 
profit,  instead  of  vigorously  aiming 
to  eradicate  them  utterly.  It  is  a  seri- 
ous question,  whether  the  gains  of 
Christian  venders  of  ardent  spirits  are 
not  derived  from  this  source.  Is  it  not 
taking  tribute  of  the  Canaanites  ? 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

1.  Also  a  lot  for  the  tribe  of  Manas- 
seh. It  was  important  to  note  this  to 
show,  that  although  Jacob  in  his  bless- 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THERE  was  also  a  lot  for  the 
tribe  of  Manasseh  ;  for  he 
was  the  ''first-horn  of  Joseph  ;  to 
wit,  for  i^iVlachir  the  first-born  of 
Manasseli,  the  ftither  of  Gilead  : 
because  he  was  a  man  of  war, 
therefore  he  had  ^Gilead  and  Ba- 
shan. 

a  Gen.  41.  51.  &  46.  20.  &  48.  18.  b  Gen.  50.  £3. 
Num.  26.  29.  &  32-  39,  40.  1  Clir  7.  14.  c  Deut. 
3    15. 

ing,  Gen.  48.  19, 20,  did  in  a  measure 
set  Ephraim  before  Manasseh,  yet  it 
was  not  to  prejudice  his  rights  of  pri- 
mogeniture. Ephraim,  indeed,  was 
to  be  more  numerous  and  powerful 
than  Manasseh,  yet  Manasseh  -was 
the  first-born,  and  was  to  have  his 
distinct  inheritance,  instead  of  being 
incorporated  with  his  brother  in  pos- 
session. IT  Machir.  The  name  of 
the  only  son  of  Manasseh,  but  here 
as  well  as  Judg.  5.  14,  put  for  his 
posterity.  Indeed,  throughout  this 
description  of  the  boundaries  of  the 
tribes,  the  names  of  fathers  stand  for 
their  descendants.  IT  The  first  born 
of  Manasseh.  Meaning  his  only  son. 
It  is  a  scriptural  usage  lo  denomi- 
nate an  only  son  \\\q  first  born.  See 
Matt.  1.  24,  25.  IT  The  father  of 
Gilead.  Although  it  is  true,  as  ex- 
pressly affirmed  Num.  26.  29,  and 
27.  1,  that  Machir  was  the  father  of 
a  son  named  Gilead,  yet  it  is  certain 
that  this  latter  name,  when  used  with 
the  article  in  Heb.  as  here,  is  almost 
invariably  applied  to  the  couyitry  so 
called,  and  which  received  its  de- 
nomination, in  the  time  of  Jacob, 
from  the  incident  mentioned  Gen. 
31.  48.  It  can  scarcely  be  doubted 
therefore,  that  the  phrase  '  father  of 
Gilead'  is  here  properly  to  be  under- 
stood of  Machir,  and  that  he  is  so 
called  just  as  in  1  Chron.  2.  24,  45, 
49,  50,  Asher  is  called  '  father  of 
Tekoa,'  Maon  '  father  of  Beth  zur,' 
Sheva, '  father  of  Gibea,'  and  Shabal 
'father  of  Kirjath-jearim ;'  all  the 
names  of  places.  The  reason  of 
Machir,  or  rather  his  posterity,  b^- 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


131 


2  There  was  also  a  lot  for 
^the  rest  of  the  children  cf  Ma- 
nasseh  by  their  families ;  ^for 
the  children  of  Abiezer,  and  for 
the  '-hildren  of  Heiek,  ^and  for 
the  children  of  Asriel,  and  for 
the  children  of  Shechem,  sand 
for  the  children  of  Hepher,  and 
for  the  children  of  Shemida : 
these  were,  the  male  children  of 
Manasseh  the  son  of  Joseph  by 
their  families. 

3  IT  But  '^Zelophehad,  the  son 
of  Hepher,  the  son  of  Gilead,  the 
son  of  Machir,  the  son  of  Ma- 
nasseh, had  no  sons,  but  daugh- 
ters :  and  these  are  the  names 
of  his  daughters,  Mahlah,  and 
Noah,  Hoglah,  Milcah,  and  Tir- 
zah. 

4  And  they  came  near  before 
lEleazar  the  priest,  and  before 
Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  be- 
fore the  princes,  saying,  ^The 
Lord  commanded  Moses  to  give 
us  an  inheritance  among  our 
brethren  :  therefore  according 
to  the  commandment  of  the  Lord 
he  gave  them  an  inheritance 
among  the  brethren  of  their  fa- 
ther. 

5  And  there  fell  ten  portions 
to  Mdnasseh,  besides  the  land  of 
Gilead  and  Bashan,  which  were 
on  the  other  side  Jordan  ; 

d  Num.  26.  29—32.     e  1  Chr.  7.  13.     f  Num.  2G.  31. 
g  Nam.  26.  32.  h  Num.  26.   33.  &  27.  I     &  36-  2. 

i  ch.  14.  1.         kNum,  27.  6,7. 

ing  so  called  is  immediately  stated 
— because  being  a  warlike  and  vali- 
ant race  they  had  conquered  Gilead 
and  Bashan,  therefore  that  region 
was  allotted  them. 

2.  The  male  children  af  Ma  nasseh . 
This  is  mentioned  merely  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  ensuing  digression, 


6  Because  the  daughters  of 
Manasseh  had  an  inheritance 
among  his  sons  :  and  the  rest  of 
Manasseh's  sons  had  the  land  of 
Gilead. 

7  IT  And  the  coast  of  Manas- 
seh was  from  Asher  to  iMich- 
methah,  that  lieih  before  She- 
chem ;  and  the  border  went 
along  on  the  right  hand  unto  the 
inhabitants  of  En-tappuah. 

8  Now  Manasseh  had  the 
land  of  Tappuah :  but  "^Tap- 
puah  on  the  border  of  Manasseh 
belonged  to  the  children  of 
Ephraim  : 

9  And  the  coast  descended 
"unto  the  river  Kanah,  south- 
ward of  the  river.  "These  ci- 
ties of  Ephraim.  are  among  the 
chies  of  Manasseh  :  the  coast  of 
Manasseh  also  was  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river,  and  the  out-go- 
ings of  it  were  at  the  sea  : 

10  Southward  it  vms  Ephra- 
im's,  and  northward  it  was  Ma- 
nasseh's, and  the  sea  is  his  bor- 
der ;  and  they  met  together  in 
Asher  on  the  nortli,  and  in  Is- 
sachar  on  the  east. 

11  pAnd  Manasseh  had  in  Is- 
sachar,  and  in  Asher,  "^Beth- 
shean  and  her  towns,  and  Ibleam 
and  her  towns,  and  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Dor  and  her  towns,  and 

1  cli.  16.  6.     m  ch.  16.  8.      n  ch.  16.  8.      o  ch.  16.  9< 
p  1  Clir.  7.  29.         q  1  Sam,  31.  10.     1  Kings  4.  12, 


concerning  the  daughters  of  Zelo- 
phehad. 

3.  But  Zelophehad  the  son  of  He- 
fher,  &c.     See  on  Num.  26.  33."27.  1. 

11.  Beih-sheanandher  toi07is.  Heb, 
'  and  her  daughters.'  Beth-shean  Oj. 
Beth-san,  the  Scythopolis  of  thg 
Greek  and  Roman  writers,  was  situ. 


132 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


the  inhabitants  of  En-dor  and 
her  towns,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
Taanach  and  her  towns,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  Megiddo  and  her 
towns,  even  three  countries. 
12  Yet  "-the  children  of  Ma- 


ated  in  the  plain  of  Jordan,  at  the 
east  end  of  the  great  plain  of  Jezreel, 
and  not  far  from  the  sea  of  Galilee. 
It  is  now  called  Bisan,  eight  hours 
or  twenty-four  miles  from  Tiberias, 
and  described,  by  Dr.  Richardson,  as 
a  collection  of  miserable  hovels, 
containing  about  two  hundred  inha- 
bitants. Bat  the  interesting  ruins 
in  its  vicinity  point  out  to  the  tra- 
veller its  former  grandeur  and  im- 
portance. H  Ajid  Ike  inhabitants. 
The  phraseology  is  remarkable,  im- 
plying that  they  had  or  possessed  not 
the  places  only^  but  also  the  people ; 
that  is,  that  having  spared  them  con- 
trary to  the  divine  command,  they 
4:educed  them  to  the  condition  of  de- 
pendants and  menials,  and  served 
themselves  of  thcvi. 

12.  The  children  of  Manasseh  could 
vot  drive  out,  &c.  Their  inability 
was  wholly  of  the  moral  kind.  They 
could  not  do  it,  because  they  were 
not  disposed  to  do  it,  just  as  it  is  said 
of  Joseph's  brethren.  Gen.  37. 4,  that 
*  they  could  not  speak  peaceably  unto 
him,'  so  strong  was  their  personal 
dislike  to  him.  The  love  of  ease, 
the  prospect  of  gain,  and,  perhaps, 
the  feelings  of  humanity, accompani- 
ed by  a  gradual  declension  of  faith 
and  zeal,  prevailed  over  the  motives 
which  should  have  prompted  them 
to  action,  and  so  rendered  them  un- 
able to  effect  the  object.  But  an 
inability,  arising  from  this  source, 
was  obviously  inexcusable,  on  the 
same  grounds  that  a  drunkard's  in- 
ability to  master  his  propensity  for 
strong  drink  is  inexcusable.  In  like 
manner,  the  '  cannot'  of  the  impeni- 
tent sinner,  in  regard  to  the  perfor- 
mance of  his  duty,  is  equally  inex- 
cusable. IT  The  Canaaniles  would 
d2oellin  thai  land.  Heb.  'willed  to 
dwell.'    A  very  remarkable  expres- 


nasseh  could  not  drive  out  the 
inhabitants  of  those  cities ;  but 
the  Canaanites  would  dwell  in 
that  land. 

13  Yet  it  came  to  pass,  when 
the    children    of    Israel    were 


sion,  indicative  of  the  obstinate  de- 
termination of  the  Canaanites  to  re- 
tain possession  of  the  coimiry,  and 
carrying  with  it  a  severe  reflection 
upon  the  supineness,  cowardice,  and 
unbelief  of  the  Israelites.  The  pre- 
sent version,  '  would,'  gives  a  very 
exact  idea  of  the  import  of  the  origi- 
nal, which  signifies  to  unll,  to  deter- 
mine, especially  as  the  result  of  com- 
placency, content,  or  satisfaction  in 
any  thing.  It  implies  here,  that  the 
Canaanites  resolved  to  act  their  own 
will  in  remaining,  that  the}^  would 
do  as  they  pleased  about  it.  Alas ! 
how  often  is  it  the  case  that  our  in- 
nate lusts,  those  hidden  enemies  of 
the  heart,  obtain  such  an  advantage 
over  us,  that  they  ma}'-  be  conceived 
as  uttering  the  same  language! 
Long  accustomed  to  toleration  and 
forbearance,  they  at  length  spurn 
control,  and  domineer  in  the  most 
absolute  manner.  As  if  they  held 
their  place  and  power  by  prescrip- 
tion, they  seem  determined  not  to  be 
dispossessed,  and  lord  it  with  all  the 
airs  of' despotic  masters  over  their 
too  easy  and  obsequious  subjects. 
But  such  a  base  subjection  as  this, 
always  costs  the  Christian  dear,  if, 
indeed,  he  be  a  Christian  over  whom 
it  is  exercised.  He  may  decline  a 
vigorous  contest  now  when  the  vic- 
tory is  comparatively  easy,  but  he 
must  prepare  for  the  combat  by  and 
by,  and  must  count  upon  tenfold  dif- 
ficalty  in  achieving  a  conquest.  If 
he  succeeds  at  all,  he  will  barely  es- 
cape with  his  life.  Interest,  duty, 
safety,  all  combine  therefore  to  re- 
quire of  the  believer  the  most  deter- 
mined and  unremitting  efforts  to  ob- 
tain and  preserve  a  decided  ascen- 
dancy over  the  inbred  corruptions  of 
his  nature. 
13,   Yet  it  came  to  pass  J  &G,     This 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


133 


waxen  strong,  that  they  put  the 
Canaanites  to  Hribute ;  but  did 
not  utterly  drive  them  out. 

14  lAnd  the  children  of  Jo- 
seph spake  unto  Joshua,  saying, 
Why  hast  thou  given  me  hut 
"one  lot  and  one  portion  to  in- 
herit, seeing  I  aw  ^a  great  peo- 

sch.  16.  10.      t  ch.   16.4.      u  Gen.  18.  22.       x  Gen. 
48.  19      Num.  26.  34,  37. 


might  better  be  rendered,  '  and'  or 
'  for  it  came  to  pass,'  as  the  words  are 
not  intended  to  express  an  opposition 
to  the  leading  sense  of  the  preceed- 
ing  verse,  but  rather  to  point  to  the 
reason  of  the  failure  of  the  Israelites 
to  expel  their  enemies:  viz.  because 
they  found  it  more  agreeable  to  put 
them  under  tribute,  though  in  direct 
disobedience  of  the  divine  injunc- 
tion, Deut.  20,  16. 

14.  The  children  of  Joseph.  That 
Is,  both  the  tribes  of  Ephraim  and 
Manasseh  conjointly.  They  speak, 
however,  according  to  common  us- 
age in  the  Hebrew,  as  if  they  were 
but  one  person.  IT  One  lot  and  one 
portion.  It  is  not  easy  to  determine 
whether  they  complain  of  having  re- 
ceived but  one  lot,  when  they  consi- 
dered themselves  entitled  to  two,  as 
being  two  distinct  tribes,  or  that  the 
district  assigned  to  them  was  so 
small  as  to  be  no  more  ihan  sufficient 
for  one  tribe  of  ordinary  dimensions. 
They  complain,  however,  of  the  nar- 
rowness of  their  bounds,  and  plead 
that  their  great  numbers  should  con- 
stitute a  claim  for  a  larger  portion. 

.  TI  Forasiinich  as  the  Lord  hath  blessed 
me  hitherto.  Increased,  multiplied 
me.  On  this  sense  of  the  word 
*  bless,'  see  on  Gen.  1.  22. 

15 .  If  thou  be  a  great  people.  Josh- 
ua takes  them  at  their  word,  and 
makes  their  alleged  greatness  an  ar- 
guinent  of  their  being  the  better  able 
by  their  own  energy  and  industry  to 
make  up  any  deficiency  in  their  lot. 
The  complete  expulsion  of  the  Ca- 
naanites from  their  territories  would 
be  a  virtual  enlargement  of  their 
bounds,  and  to  this  they  ought  to 

12* 


pie,  forasmuch  as  the  Lord  hath 
blessed  me  hitherto  ? 

15  And  Joshua  answered 
them,  If  thou  he  a  great  people, 
then  get  thee  up  to  the  wood- 
country,  and  cut  down  for  thy- 
self there  in  the  land  of  the  Per- 
izzites    and   of    the    giants,    if 


hold  themselves  obliged  by  the  com- 
mand and  the  promise  of  Jehovah. 
He  intimates,  if  we  mistake  not,  that 
their  lot  was  in  itself  sufficiently  ex- 
tensive for  their  purposes,  would 
they  but  make  it  all  available.^  which 
he  now  enjoins  it  upon  them  to  do. 
'  Many  wish  for  larger  possession? 
who  do  not  cultivate  and  make  the 
best  of  what  they  have  ;  and  think 
they  should  have  more  talents  given 
them,  when  they  do  not  trade  with 
those  with  which  they  are  intrusted.' 
Henry.  ir  Get  thee  up  to  the  uwod 
country.  That  is,  to  the  mountain- 
ous parts  which  are  covered  with 
wood.  We  suppose  he  still  has  in 
view  certain  parts  of  the  tract  which 
had  not  been  expressly  assigned,  but 
which  were,  at  present,  possessed  by 
the  Perizzites  and  Rephaim,  a  gi- 
gantic and  formidable  race,  whom 
they  seem  to  have  been  backward  to 
encounter.  U  Cut  down  for  thyself. 
That  is,  prepare  a  place  for  thyself. 
They  were  to  combine  the  labors  of 
the  axe  with  those  of  the  sword,  in 
obtaining  and  fitting  up  for  them- 
selves a  suitable  possession.  It  is, 
however,  to  be  remarked  that  the 
original  word  here  rendered  '  cut 
down'  is  applied  Ezek.  23.  47,  to  dis- 
patching with  the  sword,  and  that  it  is 
not  therefore,  absolutely  certain  that 
it  refers  solely  to  cutting  down  the 
trees  of  a  forest.  It  may  mean  cut- 
ting down  enemies  in  war.  Probably 
the  genuine  idea  is,  making  a  clear- 
ance for  themselves,  whether  by  fell- 
ing the  forests,  or  by  cutting  off  the 
giants,  or  both.  It  is  worthy  of  notice, 
that  the  original  word  is  from  the 
same  root  with  jj^'^i  to  create^  Gen. 


134 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


mount  Ephraim  be  too  narrow 
for  thee. 

16  And  the  children  of  Jo- 
seph  said,  The  hill  is  not  enough 
for  us  :  and  all  the  Canaanites 
that  dwell  in  the  land  of  the  val- 
ley have  ^chariots  of  iron,  loth 
they  who  are  of  Beth-shean  and 
her  towns,  and  they  who  are  'of 
the  valley  of  Jezreel. 

17  And  Joshua  spake  unto, 
the   house   of  Joseph,    even   to 


y  Jude.  1.  19    &  4.  3 


Kings  .i.ia. 


Ephraim  and  to  Marasseh,  say- 
ing, Thou  art  a  great  people, 
and  hfist  great  power  :  thou 
shalt  not  have  one  lot  only  : 

18  But  the  mountain  shall  be 
thine  ;  for  it  is  a  wood,  and  thou 
shalt  cut  it  down  :  and  the  out- 
goings of  it  shall  be  thine:  for 
thou  shalt  drive  out  the  Canaan- 
ites, ^though  they  have  iron 
chariots,  and  though  they  he 
strong. 

a  Dent.  20.  1. 


1. 1,  and  which  we  there  endeavored 
to  show,  implied  a  process  of  re-for- 
ming,01:  renovating,  jnst  as  the  trans- 
forming an  uninhabited  woodland 
tract  into  cultivated  fields,  or  popu- 
lous towns,  renovates  or  recreates  a 
coimtry. 

16.  The  hill  is  not  enough  for  ns. 
Heb.  '  shall    not  be  found  lor  us.'  i 
That  is,  perhaps,  is  unattainable  by  | 
us,  cannot  be  mastered.  The  grounds  \ 
of  their  apprehension,  they  proceed  ; 
to  state  in^what  follows.      H  And  all 
the  Canaanites,  &c.      Rather, /or  all  j 
the  Canaanites,  &c.       It  would  be  j 
impossible,  they  thought,  to  make  1 
themselves  masters  of  the  mountains, 
so  long  as  their  enemies,  with  their 
iron  chariots,  commanded  all  the  ad-  j 
jacent  valleys.     Such  a  formidable 
defence  would  effectually  preclude 
all  access.      IT  Chariots  of  iron.  Not 
chariots  made  wholly  of  iron,   but 
armed  with  it;   chariots  with  long 
scythes  fastened  to  their  axle-trees, 
as  described  above,  ch.  11.  4. 

17.  Tkou  shall  not  hare  one  lot  only. 
Thou  shalt  not  be  restricted  to  what 
thou  callest  one  lot ;  it  is  in  fact  a 
much  larger  territory,  and  thou  doest 
wrong  to  call  it  by  so  diminutive  a 
title.  Only  possess  the  whole,  and 
great  and  powerful  as  thou  art,  thou 
wilt  find  no  reason  to  complain  of 
too  contracted  bounds. 

18.  But  the  mountain  shall  be  Ihinc. 
The  same  mountainous  or  hilly  tract 
of  which  he  had  spoken  before. 
feeing  that  their  request  proceeded 


only  from  pusillanimity  and  want 
of  faith,  he  insists  upon  his  first  sug- 
gestion. He  would  have  them  quit 
themselves  like  men,  and  take  pos- 
session of  the  fine  wooded  hills  to 
which  he  referred  before.  There 
was  no  reason  why  they  should  ask 
any  thing  more.  And  as  to  the  Ca- 
naanites and  their  chariots  of  iron, 
what  were  they  when  set  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  almighty  arm  of  Israel's 
God  1  They  Avere  not  to  fear  for  a 
moment  but  that  they  should  drive 
them  out,  terrible  as  they  were.  H 
The  outgoings  of  it  shall  be  thine. 
Meaning,  prob^^bly,  the  passages  and 
valleys  leading  to  it ;  q.  d.  '  Clear 
away  the  wood,  occupy  the  mountain, 
and  you  shall  soon  be  able  to  com- 
mand all  the  defiles,  all  the  avenues 
ofapproach,  and  no  enemy  can  make 
head  against  you.'  Otherwise,  the 
meaning  may  be.  The  mountainous 
lTaci,i?ialltheextent  of  its  boundaries, 
shall  be  thine.  This  is  sometimes 
the  sense  of '  outgoings.'  We  may 
learu  from  this  petition  of  the  sons 
of  Joseph,  (1.)  How  prone  men  are 
to  be  discontented  with  their  lot.  A 
di.ssatisfied  mind,  a  disposition  to 
murmur,  envy,  and  covet,  rather 
than  to  be  content,  thankful,  and 
liberal,  is  alas  !  too  often  character- 
istic of  those  who  are  really  highly 
favored  of  Heaven,  would  they  but 
survey  their  blessings  in  all  their 
length  and  breadth,  and  extract  the 
most  out  of  them  that  they  are  ca- 
pable of  yielding.     (2.)  Our  com- 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


135 


CHAPTER  XVni. 

A  ND  the  whole  congregation 
-^  ot^the  children  of  Israel  as- 
senihled  together  "at  Shiloh,  and 

a  ch.  19.  51.  &  21.  2.   &  22   9.     Jer.  7.  12. 


plaints  of  comforts  withheld  are  of- 
ten no  more  than  testimonies  of  our 
own  supineness,  negligence,  and  fear 
of  the  cross.  From  an  ignoble  fear 
that  our  enemies  are  too  many,  or 
too  mighty  for  us,  and  that  we  can 
do  nothing,  we  sit  down  and  attempt 
nothing  :  and  yet  we  complain  of 
providential  allotments.  Thus  it  is 
that '  the  foolishness  of  man  pervert- 
eth  his  way,  and  (yet)  his  heart  fret- 
teth  against  the  Lord.' 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

1.  The  whole  congregation — as- 
sembled at  Shiloh.  The"  wiihdraw- 
ment  of  the  tribes  of  Judah,  Ephraim, 
and  Manasseh  to  take  possession  of 
their  respective  lots,  would  sensibly 
diminish  the  body  of  the  people  en- 
camped around  the  tabernacle  at 
Gilead,  and  make  it  inconvenient  as 
a  place  of  resort  to  those  who  were 
becoming  settled  at  a  distance.  The 
expediency,  therefore,  of  removing 
the  tabernacle  itself  to  a  more  cent- 
ral position  was  obvious,  though  the 
step, 'it  majr  be  presumed,  would  not 
be  taken  without  divine  direction, 
for  God  expressly  retained  to  him- 
self the  prerogative  of '  choosing  the 
place  where  he  should  cause  hisname 
to  dwell,'  Deut.  \'2.  11.  Shiloh  ac- 
cordingly was  selected  for  this  pur- 
pose. The  name  of  this  city  is  the 
same  as  that  by  which  Jacob  predict- 
ed the  Messiah,  49.  10,  and  some 
commentators  suppose  that  it  was 
first  called  Shiloh  on  this  occasion, 
when  selected  for  the  resting-place 
of  the  ark,  and  the  observance  of 
those  institutions  which  pointed  to 
Christ,  the  great  Peace-maker  be- 
tween heaven  and  earth.  It  was  si- 
tuated in  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  in 
the  very  centre  of  Canaan,  about 
twenty  miles  north  of  Jerusalem, 
twelve  north  of  Bethel,  and  ten  south 
of  Shechem.     It  was  therefore  the 


''set  up  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation  there  :  and  the  land 
was  subdued  before  them 

2   And  tliere  remained  among 

b  Jiula.  18.  31.     1  Sanp    1.  3   'i4    &  4.  3,  4. 


most  convenient  location  possible 
for  all  the  tribes,  and  as  Joshua  was 
himself  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  he, 
as  chief  magistrate  of  the  nation, 
would  always  have  a  ready  access  to 
the  sanctuary,  when  the  God  of  Is- 
rael was  to  be  consulted.  In  this 
place  the  ark  and  the  tabernacle  re- 
mained for  upv/ards  of  three  hun- 
dred and  tifiy  years,  till  taken  by  the 
Philistines,  in  the  time  of  Eli,  1  Sam. 
4,  1 — 11.  It  was  afterwards  remov- 
ed to  Nob,  and  finally,  in  the  reign 
of  David,  to  Jerusalein.^  IT  And  the 
land  was  subdued  before  them.  Or, 
Heb.  \for  the  land  was  subdued,'  in- 
timating to  the  reader,  how  it  hap- 
pened that  they  were  enr.bled  to  avail 
themselves  of  this  favorable  location. 
They  were  freed  from  the  molesta- 
tion of  their  enemies-  The  Canaan- 
ites  were  so  far  subdued  that  they 
offered  no  resistance  or  impediment 
to  the  occupation  of  the  spot. 

2.  Seven  tribes  which  had  not  yet 
received  their  inheritance.  The  rea- 
sons of  this  delay  are  unknown. 
The  probability  is,  that  the  original 
survey,  on  which  the  division  thus 
far  made  was  founded,  was  so  im- 
perfect, that  the  remaining  tribes 
were  unwilling  to  have  it  made  the 
basis  of  their  respective  allotments. 
This  is  to  be  inferred  from  the  fact 
that  Judah's  portion  was  .soon  found 
to  be  too  large,  as  Joseph's  had  al- 
ready been  found  too  small.  The 
dissatisfaction  expressed  had  led 
therefore  to  a  temporary  suspension 
of  the  work,  till  a  new  and  more  ex- 
act survey  could  be  made.  Add  to 
this,  that  they  appear  to  have  become 
tired  of  the  war.  Their  former  con- 
quests had  enriched  them  with  spoil, 
they  were  enjoying  the  ample  provi- 
sions which  had  been  treasured  up 
for  the  use  of  the  former  inhabitants, 
and  they  became  self-indulgent, 
slothful,  and  dilatory.     They  were 


136 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


the  children  of  Israel  seven 
tribes,  which  had  not  yet  re- 
ceived their  inheritance. 

3  And  Joshua  said  unto  the 
children  of  Israel,   '^Hovv   long 


now  living  at  ease  in  the  midst  of 
their  brethren  ;  the  regions  that  yet 
remained  to  be  divided  were  remote 
from  the  station  around  which  they 
were  clustered,  and  if  they  went  to 
taiie  possession  of  them,  they  must 
break  up  their  present  connections, 
drive  their  flocks  and  herds,  and  con- 
vey their  wives  and  children  to 
strange  places,  and  undergo  new 
hardships  and  trials.  Besides  this, 
great  numbers  of  the  Canaanites  still 
remained  in  the  unappropriated  dis- 
tricts, and  these,  they  knew,  could 
not  be  expelled  but  at  the  expense  of 
great  effort,  fatigue,  and  peril. 
Their  hearts  accordingly  sunk  with- 
in them  at  the  prospect.  They  knew 
the  work  was  to  be  done — they 
wished  it  were  done — but  still 
they  had  not  spirit  to  undertake  it. 
'  The  soul  of  the  sluggard  desireth 
and  hath  nothing.'  What  a  striking 
picture  of  the  too  common  apathy 
and  sluggishness  of  the  candidate 
for  the  li&avenly  inheritance  !  How 
frequently  is  he  diverted  from  pre- 
sent duties  and  debarred  from  pre- 
sent comforts,  by  giving  way  to 
slothful  or  timorous  apprehensions 
of  the  difficulties  that  beset  his  path. 
What  attainments  might  we  not  have 
secured,  if,  from  the  commencement 
of  our  warfare,  we  had  not  relaxed 
our  zeal,  nor  made  truces  with  our 
enemies,  but  had  followed  up  our  ad- 
vantages in  the  spirit  of  true  Chris- 
tian heroes !  May  not  many  look 
back  for  years,  and  yet  not  be  able 
to  point  out  one  foot  of  ground  that 
they  have  gained,  beyond  that  which 
was  won  in  their  first  conflicts'?  Yet 
how  certainly  are  the  difficulties  in- 
creased by  delay  !  Forty  years  after 
this  time,  the  tribe  of  Dan  had  to 
fight  for  their  inheritance,  and  it  was 
four  hundred  years  before  the  Jebu- 
sites  were  driven  from  Jerusalem. 


are  ye  slack  to  go  to  possess  the 
land  which  the  Lord  God  of 
your  fathers  hath  given  you  ? 

4  Give  out  from  among  you 
three  men  for  each  tribe  :  and  I 

Had  all  the  tribes  proceeded  with 
united  vigor  to  fulfil  the  divine  com- 
mand in  its  utmost  extent,  they 
would  not  so  long  have  been  annoy- 
ed by  their  remaining  enemies,  as 
'  scourges  in  their  sides,  and  thorns 
in  their  eyes.'  And  who  does  not 
find  that  corruptions  gather  strength 
by  indulgence,  and  that  graces  decay 
for  want  of  exercise  1  Therefore 
let  us  look  to  ourselves,  that  we  lose 
not  the  things  that  we  have  wrought. 

3.  Hoio  long  are  ye  slack  to  go  to 
possess  the  land,  &c.  This  is  surely 
the  language  of  rebuke,  and  implies 
that  there  had  been  a  criminal  re- 
missness, among  the  tribes,  in  regard 
to  this  matter,  the  probable  source  of 
which  is  explained  in  the  remarks 
on  the  preceding  verse.  It  is  true, 
indeed,  that  they  could  not  well  be 
enjoined  to  enter  immediately,  to 
rush,  as  it  were,  upon  their  inheri- 
tances, for  the  particular  assign- 
ments were  first  to  be  made  to  each, 
but  the  point  of  the  censure  is  direct- 
ed to  their  indifference  in  this  respect. 
They  manifested  no  interest  in,  they 
were  taking  no  steps  towards,  hav- 
ing the  requisite  survey  and  divi- 
sion made.  This  w^as  the  essence 
of  their  offence.  So  in  reproving 
the  impenitent  for  his  neglecting  to 
work  out  his  own  salvation  with  fear 
and  trembling,  and  in  pressing  upon 
him  the  faithful  discharge  of  every 
Christian  duty,  it  is  still  to  be  under- 
stood that  his  Jirst,  his  immediate 
business  is  to  become  reconciled  to 
God,  by  unfeigned  repentance  ;  and 
thus  to  secure  a  title  to  eternal  life. 
When  this  is  done,  his  great  concern 
in  life  is,  like  that  of  the  Israelites 
in  Canaan,  to  labor  to  enter  into  pos- 
session of  his  eternal  inheritance. 

4.  Give  out  from  among  you.  Heb. 
'Give  ye  for  yourselves;'  i.  e.  ap- 
point, select,  ordain.       II  Three  men 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


is: 


will  send  them,  and  they  shall 
rise,  and  go  through  the  land, 
and  describe  it  according  to  the 
inheritance  of  them,  and  they 
shall  come  again  to  me. 

5  And  they  shall  divide  it  in- 
to  seven  parts  :  ''Judah  shall 
abide  in  their  coast  on  the  south, 
and  *the  house  of  Joseph  shall 
abide  in  their  coast  on  the  north. 

6  Ye  shall  therefore  describe 
the  land  into  seven  parts,  and 


of  each  tribe.  Of  each  of  the  seven 
tribes  that  5'et  remained  to  be  provid- 
ed for,  making  twenty-one  in  all. 
^  Go  through  the  land.  Accompani- 
ed, perhaps,  by  a  military  gtiard  to 
prevent  the  surveyors  from  being  cut 
oft^  by  straggling  parties  of  the  Ca- 
naanites.  Others  suppose  the  Ca- 
naanites  were  supernaturally  intimi- 
dated and  restrained  from  attacking 
them.  IF  Describe  it.  See  on  v.  9, 
IT  According  to  the  inheritance'  of  them. 
Heb.  'accordingtothemouth  of  their 
inheritance  ;'  i.  e.  probably  to  the 
value  of  their  inheritance,  or  the 
country  which  they  were  to  inherit; 
not  of  iheir  particular  inheritances, 
for  these  were  afterwards  to  be  as- 
signed ihem  by  lot,  but  of  the  coun- 
try in  general  w'hich  was  to  consti- 
tute their  inheritance.  This  is  fre- 
quently the  sense  of  the  Heb.  term 
ht3  mouth,  as  maybe  seen  by  consult- 
ing Ex.  12.  4.  16.  18.  Gen.  43.  7. 
Prov.  12.8.  The  words  of  Josephus, 
in  his  account  of  this  affair,  gives, 
as  we  conceive,  very  nearly  the  pre- 
cise import  of  the  original.  '  He  al- 
so gave  them  a  charge  to  estimate  the 
measure  of  that  part  of  the  land  that 
was  most  fruitful,  and  what  was  not 
so  good.'  Again,  '  Joshua  thought 
the  land  for  the  tribes  should  be  di- 
vided by  estimation  of  its  goodness, 
rather  than  the  largeness  of  its  mea- 
sure; it  often  happening  that  one 
acre  of  some  sorts  of  land  was  equi- 
valent to  a  thousand  other  acres.' 
Ant.  B.  V.  ch.  1.  §  21.    Joshua's  in- 


bring  the  description  hither  to 
me,  '^that  I  may  cast  lots  for  you 
here  before  the  Lord  our  God. 
7  "But  the  Levites  have  no 
part  among  you  ;  for  the  priest- 
hood of  the  Lord  is  their  inher- 
itance. *»And  Gad,  and  Reuben, 
and  half  the  tribe  of  Manasseh, 
have  received  their  inheritance 
beyond  Jordan  on  the  east,  vi^hich 
Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord 
gave  them. 

fch.  14.  2    &  V.  10.        gch   13.  33.        h  ch.  13.   8. 


structions,  therefore,  required  the 
commissioners  to  have  a  special  eye 
to  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  different 
parts  of  the  country,  as  being  more 
or  less  fertile  and  eligible. 

5.  And  they  shall  divide  it.  Or, 
Heb.  '  divide  ye  it.'  IT  Judah  shall 
abide  in  their  coast.  In  their  district, 
in  their  region.  Heb.  '  shall  stand 
upon  his  border.'  The  meaning  un- 
doubtedly is,  that  in  this  survey  they 
were  not  to  take  into  consideration 
the  tribe  of  Judah,  which  was  in  the 
south,  nor  the  tribes  of  Ephraimaud 
Manas.seh,  which  were  on  the  north 
of  where  they  now  were,  but  were 
carefully  to  divide  the  remaining 
territory  which  was  not  occupied  by 
these  tribes  into  seven  equal  parts. 
The  tribes  of  Judah  and  Joseph  had 
been  already  provided  for  ;  let  them 
stand  by  themselves.  The  terms 
north  andsj^Uharehere  used  relative- 
ly to  Shiloh,  rather  than  to  the  actu- 
al position  of  these  two  tribes. 

6.  Before  the  Lord  our  God.  Be- 
fore the  ark  or  tabernacle,  over 
which  tne  symbol  of  the  divine  pre- 
sence rested.  See  on  ch.  3. 11.  The 
transaction  was  a  solemn  one,  and 
he  would  have  it  so  performed  as 
that  the  tribes  should  look  upon  their 
possessions,  as  established  to  ihem  by 
divine  authority.  The  pious  heart 
ever  delights  to  look  upon  God  as 
'  determining  the  bounds  of  our  habi- 
tations.' 

7.  The  Levites  have  no  part  among 
you.    See  on  ch.  13.  14. 


138 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


8  IT  And  the  men  arose,  and 
went  away  :  and  J(3shua  cliarge  1 
them  that  went  to  describe  the 
land,  saying.  Go,  and  walk 
through  the  land,  and  describe 
it,  and  come  again  to  me,  t'nat  I 
may  here  cast  lots  for  you  be- 
fore the  Lord  in  Sliiloh. 

8.  And  Joshua  charged.  Rather, 
'Joshua  had  charged,'  as  we  find 
mentioned  v.  6.  These  words  and 
the  remainingpart  of  the  verse  should 
be  included  in  a  parenthesis. 

9.  Described  it  in  a  book.  Laid  it 
down  on  a  map  or  chart,  accompani- 
ed, perhaps,  with  a  verbal  descrip- 
tion of  the  leading  features  of  the 
country.  This  is  the  earliest  instance 
of  land-surveying  on  record.  The 
art  was  perhaps  learned  from  the 
Egyptians;  for  their  fields  being  an- 
nually overflowed  by  the  Nile,  and 
the  land-marks  swept  away,  they 
would  be  compelled  frequently  to  re- 
survey  them,  in  order  to  adjust  their 
limits.  This  incident  is  capable, 
without  a  violent  application,  of 
yielding  an  important  practical  hint 
to  the  candidate  for  the  heavenly  in- 
heritance. The  sacred  volume  con- 
tains, not  only  the  will  which  makers 
over  to  us  the  grant  of  this  inheri- 
tance, but  the  title-deeds  themselves, 
yea  a  map  also  of  the  whole  estate, 
a  description  of  every  thing  that  is 
valuable  in  it,  and  clear  directions 
for  securing  the  everlasting  posses- 
sion of  it.  We  may  ask,  What 
would  be  our  employment,  if  such  a 
document  were  put"^into  our  hands 
in  reference  to  an  earthly  inheri- 
tance 7 — especially  if  required  to 
make  out  our  title  by  proofs  drawn 
from  the  record  itself?  Should  we 
not  diligently  ponder  such  a  record  1 
Should  we  not  call  in  professional 
aid,  and  use  every  possible  effort  to 
establish  our  rights '?  Should  we  feel 
at  ease  while  the  issue  was  doubrful  1 
Should  we  willingly  let  the  decision 
linger,  and  pass  days  and  months  in 
heedless  indifference  how  the  matter 
should  terminate  ]    Yet,  alas  !  how 


9  And  the  men  went  and 
passed  through  the  land,  and  de- 
scribed  it  by  cities  into  seven 
parts  in  a  book,  and  came  again 
to  Joshua  to  the  host  at  Shiloh. 

10  H  And  Joshua  cast  lots  for 
them  in  Shiloh  before  the  Lord  ; 
and  there  Joshua  divided  the  land 


many  act  thus  in  reference  to  their 
title  to  heaven.  They  are  equally 
listless  and  negligent  in  making  out 
their  title,  and  '  slack  in  taking  pos- 
session' of  the  promised  portion  of 
the  saints.  They  do  not  enter  upon 
it,  as  they  might,  by  faith,  and  hope, 
and  holy  joy.  They  do  not  live  in 
heaven,  as  they  might,  by  setting 
their  affections  on  things  above,  and 
having  their  conversation  there. 
We  are  ready  to  say,  it  argued  base 
ingratitude  to  God,  and  a  virtual  con- 
tempt of  their  own  interest,  in  being 
so  remiss  in  taking  possession  of 
that  rich  land  of  promise.  But  what 
was  Canaan,  compared  to  the  rest 
that  is  above  '?  If,  like  Paul,  we 
could  once  be  caught  up  to  the  third 
heavens,  and  behold  for  a  single  hour 
those  blest  abodes,  should  we  ever 
be  '  slack'  or  lukewarm  any  morel 
Should  we  then  think,  that  the  most 
intense  zeal  in  the  service  of  Christ 
was  being  '  righteous  overmuch,'  or 
carrying  matters  too  far ,  or  any  more 
than  the  very  nature  of  the  case  re- 
quired"? Wherefore,  we  would  say 
to  the  cold-hearted  and  slack-handed 
followers  of  Christ,  as  the  spies  after- 
wards  said  to  the  neg]e.ctful  Danites, 
'  We  have  seen  the  land,  and  behold 
it  is  very  good  ;  and  are  ye  still "?  Be 
not  slothful  to  go  and  to  enter  to  pos- 
sess the  land.'  IT  Described  it  h^ 
cities.  Setting  down  the  most  re- 
markable cities,  with  their  towns 
and  villages,  their  distances  from 
each  other,  and  the  territories  adja- 
cent. IF  And  came  again  to  J  'shua. 
According  to  Josephus,  at  the  end  of 
seven  months. 

10.  According  to  their  divisions. 
According  to  their  respective  appor? 
tionments. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


A.  C.  1444.] 


unto  the  children  of  Israel  ac 
cording  to  their  divisions. 

11  %  And  the  lot  of  the  tribe 
ofthe  children  oCBenjamin  came 
up  according  to  their  fannilies  : 
and  the  coast  of  their  lot  came 
forth  between  the  children  of  Ju- 
dah  and  the  children  of  Joseph. 

12  'And  their  border  on  the 
north  side  was  from  Jordan ; 
atid  tiie  border  went  up  to  the 
side  of  Jericho  on  the  north  side, 
and  went  up -through  the  moun- 
tains westward  ;  and  the  goings 
out  thereof  were  at  the  wilder- 
ness of  Beth-aven. 

13  And  the  border  went  over 
from  thence  toward  Luz,  to  the 
side  of  Luz  (i^which  is  Beth-el) 
southward  ;  and  the  border  de- 
scended to  Ataroth-adar,  near 
the  hill  that  Uetli  on  the  south 
side  lof  the  nether  Beth-horon. 

14  And  the  border  was  drawn 
thence,  and  compassed  the  cor- 
ner of  the  sea  southward,  from 
the  hill  that  lieth  before  Beth- 
horon  southward  ;  and  the  go- 
ings out  thereof  were  at  '"Kir- 
jath-baol  (which  is  Kiijath-jea- 
rim)  a  city  ofthe  children  of  Ju- 
dah.  This  was  the  west  quar- 
ter. 

15  And  the  south  quarter  was 
from  the  end  of  Kirjath-jearim, 
and  the  border  went  out  on  the 

a.  28.  19.    Judg.  1.  23.      1  ch. 


139 


i  See  c 
16.  3. 


16    1. 
:  ch.    1 


11.  And  the  lot — came  up.  That  is, 
came  forth  from  the  urn  or  vessel  in 
which  the  lots  were  deposited.  And 
so  by  an  easy  metaphor  it  is  said  im- 
mediately after,  that  'the coast  came 
forth,'  because  the  lot  on  which  it 
depended  came  forth.  In  like  man- 
ner it  is  said,  Levit.  16.  9,  '  The  goat 


west,  and  went  out  to  "the  well 
of  waters  of  Nephtoah  : 

16  And  the  border  came 
down  to  the  end  of  the  mountain 
that  lieth  before  °the  valley  of 
the  son  of  Hinnom,  and  which  is 
in  the  valley  ofthe  giants  on  the 
north,  and  descended  to  the  val- 
ley  of  Hinnom,  to  the  side  of 
Jebusi  on  the  south,  and  descend- 
ed to  pEn-rogel, 

17  Aiid  was  drawn  from  the 
north,  andweni  forth  to  En-she- 
naesh,  and  went  forth  toward 
Geliloih,  which  is  over  against 
the  going  up  of  Adummim,  and 
descended  to  nhe  stone  of  Bohan 
the  son  of  Reuben, 

18  And  passed  along  toward 
the  side  over  against  >"Arabah 
northward,  and  went  down  unto 
Arabah  : 

19  And  the  border  passed 
along  to  the  side  of  Beth-hoglah 
northward  :  and  the  out-goings 
of  the  border  were  at  the  north 
bay  ofthe  salt-sea  at  the  south 
end  of  Jordan.  This  was  the 
south  coast. 

20  And  Jordan  was  the  bor- 
der of  it  on  the  east  side.  This 
was  the  inheritance  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Benjamin,  by  the  coasts 
thereof  round  about,  according 
to  their  families. 

21  Now  the  cities  ofthe  tribe 

o  ch.  15.  8.      p  ch.  15.  7.     q  ch.  15.  6. 


n  ch.  15.  9. 
•  ch.  15.  6. 


upon  which  the  Lord's  \oXfell,  (Heb. 
upon  which  the  Lord's  \oi  came  up.y 
IT  Betioeen  the  children  of  Judah  and 
the  children  of  Joseph.  See  on  Deut. 
33  12.  The  prediction  of  Moses  in 
regard  to  the  lot  of  Benjamin  was  re- 
markably fulfilled,  as  may  be  seen 
in  the  note  on  Deut.  33.  12. 


140 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


of  the  children  of  Benjamin  ac- 
cording to  their  families,  were 
Jericho,  and  Beth-hoglah,  and 
the  valley  of  Keziz. 

22  And  Beth-arubah,  and  Ze- 
maraim,  and  Beth-el, 

23  And  Avim,  and  Parah, 
and  Op h rah, 

24  AndChephar-haammonai, 
and  Ophni,  and  Gaba  ;  twelve 
cities  with  their  villages  : 

25  Gibeon,  and  Ramah,  and 
Beeroth, 

26  And  Mizpeh,  and  Chephi- 
rah,  and  Mozah, 

27  And  Rekem,  and  Irpeel, 
and  Taralah, 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
1.  The  second  lot  came  forth.  Out 
of  the  urn.  See  on  ch.  18.  11. 
IT  For  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Si- 
meon. Exegetical  of  the  preceding 
word  '  Simeon,'  showing  that  the 
names  oipersonsdixe.  employed,  as  we 
have  often  elsewhere  remarked,  in 
a  collective  sense  for  the  political 
bodies,  the  tribes,  kingdoms,  or  coun- 
tries of  which  they  are  the  founders. 
IT  Their  inheritance  was  icithin  the 
iyiheritance  of  the  children  of  Judah. 
It  would  seem  that  the  first  rude  sur- 
vey had  led  to  an  erroneous  impres- 
sion of  the  extent  of  the  country. 
They  had  supposed  it  to  be  much 
larger  than  it  really  was.  Under 
this  impression  they  had  assigned  a 
large  territory  to  Judah,  taking  it  for 
granted  that  the  lots  of  the  other 
tribes  would  be  in  the  same  propor- 
tion. But  upon  closer  examination 
it  was  found  that  at  that  rate  of  as- 
signment the  land  would  not  hold 
out,  and  some  of  the  tribes  must  be 
very  much  scanted  or  left  wholly 
destitute  of  their  just  inheritance. 
The  obvious  expedient  was  to  take 
a  part  of  the  territory  of  Judah  and 
allot  it  to  Simeon.  The  inheritance 
of  this  tribe  therefore  is  said  to  have 
fallen  within  the  inheritance  of  Ju- 


28  And  Zelah,  Eleph,and*Je- 
busi,  (which  Z5  Jerusalem)  Gibe- 
ath,  and  Kirjath  ;  fourteen  cities 
with  their  villages.  This 25 the  in- 
heritance ofthe  childi  en  ot  Benja- 
min according  to  their  families. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A  ND  the  second  lot  came  forth 
•■^^  to  Simeon,  even  for  the  tribe 
the  children  of  Simeon  according 
to  their  families :  ''and  their  in- 
heritance was  within  the  inher- 
itance of  the  children  of  Judah. 
2  And  ''they  had  in  their  inhe- 
ritance, Beer-sheba,  and  Sheba, 
and  Moladah, 


dah,  because  it  was  included  within 
the  original  limits  ofthe  latter  tribe, 
and  is  elsewhere  seldom  or  never 
spoken  of  as  a  distinct  district.  In 
this  arrangement  the  providence  of 
God  is  to  be  especially  noted,  as  Ja- 
cob, in  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  had 
foretold  that  Simeon  and  Levi  should 
be  '  divided  in  Jacob,'  and  '  scattered 
in  Israel.'  Gen.  49.  7.  This  was 
accordingly  most  literally  fulfilled 
in  the  manner  in  which  these  tribes 
were  now  disposed  of  Levi  was 
'scattered'  throughout  all  the  land 
not  having  received  any  distinct  in- 
heritance, but  only  certain  '  cities  to 
dwell  in;'  and  Simeon,  as  we  here 
learn,  was  '  divided '  or  dispersed 
over  the  territories  of  Judah  instead 
of  having  one  of  their  own.  This 
arrangement  brought  them  into  con- 
federacy with  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
Judg.  1.  3,  and  afterwards  was  the 
occasion  of  the  adherence  of  many 
of  this  tribe  to  the  house  of  David  at 
the  time  ofthe  revolt  ofthe  ten  tribes 
to  Jeroboam.  2  Chron.  15.  9,  '  out 
of  Simeon  they  fell  to  Asa  in  abun- 
dance.' 

2.  Beersheba^  Sheba.  Heb.  '  Beer- 
sheba  and  (or  even)  Sheba,'  That 
one  and  the  same  city  is  designated 
by  both  these  names  is  clear  from  th» 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


141 


3  And  Hazar-shiial,  and  Ba- 
lah,  and  Azem, 

4  And  Eltolad,  and  Bethul, 
and  Hormah, 

5  And  Ziklag,  and  Beth-ma- 
rcaboth,  and  Hazar-susah, 

6  And  Beth-lebaoth,  and  Sha- 
ruhen  ;  thirteen  cities  and  their 
villages  : 

7  Ain,  Remmon,  and  Ether, 
and  Ashan  ;  four  cities  and  their 
villages  : 

8  And  all  the  villages  that 
loere  round  about  these  cities  to 
Baalathbeer,  Ramath  of  the 
south.  This  is  the  inheritance 
of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 
Simeon  according  to  their  fa- 
milies. 

9  Out  of  the  portion  of  the 


fact  that  otherwise  there  would  have 
been  fourteen  cities  instead  of  thir- 
teen. Besides,  in  1  Chron.  4.  28, 
where  Simeon's  cities  are  enumera- 
ted, the  mention  of  Sheba  is  omitted 
as  superfluous.  As  to  the  import  of 
these  names,  see  on  Gen.  21.  31,  32. 
In  the  description  of  the  lots  of  Ju- 
dah  and  Benjamin,  an  account  is 
given  both  of  the  limits  by  which 
they  were  bounded  and  of  the  cities 
contained  in  them.  In  that  of 
Ephraim  and  Manasseh  the  bounda- 
ries are  given,  but  not  the  cities.  In 
this  chapter  Simeon  and  Dan  are  de- 
scribed by  their  cities  only,  and  not 
by  their  borders,  because  lliey  were 
small  and  the  former  lay  within  the 
limits  of  another  tribe.  The  rest 
have  both  their  borders  described, 
and  their  cities  named. 

9.  The  part  of  the  ckildren  of  Ju- 
dah  ivas  too  much  for  them.  Too 
large  in  proportion  to  the  other  tribes, 
and  too  large  for  their  actual  neces- 
sities ;  although,  as  being  the  most 
numerous  of  all  the  tribes,  it  might 
justly  claim  a  more  extensive  terri- 
tory than  any  of  the  rest.  Yet  when 
13 


children  of  Judah  was  the  inher- 
itance of  the  children  of  Simeon  : 
for  the  part  of  the  children  of 
Judah  was  too  much  for  them  : 
Hherefore  the  children  of  Simeon 
had  their  inheritance  within  the 
inheritance  of  them. 

10  And  the  third  lot  came  up 
for  the  children  of  Zebulun  ac- 
cording to  their  families  :  and 
the  border  of  their  inheritance 
was  unto  Sarid  : 

11  ''And  their  border  went  up 
toward  the  sea,  and  Maralah, 
and  reached  to  Dabbasheth,  and 
reached  to  the  river  that  is  «be- 
fore  Jokneam, 

12  And  turned  from  Sarid, 
eastward,  toward  the  sun-rising, 
unto  the  border  of  Chisloth-tabor 


it  was  found  that  they  could  2iot  in- 
sist upon  the  original  allotment  with- 
out manifest  injustice  to  the  other 
tribes,  the  men  of  Judah  submitted 
without  a  murmur  to  relinquish  a 
part  of  their  possession.  They  will 
take  no  advantage  of  an  uninten- 
tional error  by  withholding  that 
which  equity  and  kindness  would 
require  them  to  give  up.  The  same 
generous  principle  will  operate  in 
like  manner  with  every  good  man. 
If  he  has  chanced,  through  the  inad- 
vertency or  mistake  of  another,  to 
gain  an  undue  advantage  in  a  con- 
tract, he  will  cheerfully  waive  his 
right  and  make  all  the"  concessions 
which,  in  similar  circumstances,  he 
would  wish  to  have  made  to  himself. 
He  will,  as  the  apostle  enjoins,  look 
upon  the  things  of  others,  as  well  as 
upon  his  own. 

10.  The  third  lot  came  up  for  the 
children  of  Zebulun.  Though  Zeb- 
ulun v/as  younger  than  Issachar,  yet 
both  in  the  prophetic  blessing  of  Ja- 
cob and  of  Moses  he  came  before 
him,  and  in  like  manner  he  has  the. 
precedency  here  also  in  the  allot- 


142 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


and  then  goeth  out  to  Daberath, 
and  goeth  up  to  Japhia, 

13  And  from  thence  passeth 
on  along  on  the  east  to  Gittah- 
hepher,  to  Ittah-kazin,  and  goeth 
out  to  Remmon-methoar  to 
Neah  ; 

14  And  the  border  compasseth 
it  on  the  north  side  to  Hanna- 
thon  :  and  the  out-goings  there- 
of  are  in  the  valley  of  Jiphthah- 
el: 

15  And  Kattath,and  Nahallal, 
and  Shimron,  and  Idalah,  and 
Beth-lehem  ;  twelve  cities  with 
their  villages. 

16  This  is  the  inheritance  of 
the  children  of  Zebulun  accor- 
ding to  their  families,  these  cities 
with  their  villages. 

17  H  And  the  fourth  lot  came 
out  to  Issachar,  for  the  children 
of  Issachar  according  to  their 
families. 

18  And  their  border  was  to- 
ward  Jezreel,  and  Chesulloth, 
and  Shunem, 

19  And  Hapharaim,  and  Shi- 
hon,  and  Anaharath, 

20  And  Rabbith,  and  Kishion, 
and  Abez, 

21  And  Remeth,  and  En-gan- 
nim,  and  En-haddah,  and  Beth- 
pazzez  ; 


ment  of  his  inheritance.  Provi- 
dence is  wonderful  in  its  correspon- 
dence with  prophecy.  The  lot  of 
this  tribe  was  washed  by  the  Medi- 
terranean on  the  west,  and  by  the 
sea  of  Galilee  on  the  east,  agreeably 
to  Jacob's  prediction,  Gen.  49.  13, 
that  Zebulun  should  be  '  a  haven  of 
ships.' 

15.  Beth-lehem.    A  place  lying  at 


22  And  the  coast  reacheth  to 
Tabor,  and  Shahazimah,  and 
Bethshemish  ;  and  the  out-goings 
of  their  border  were  at  Jordan  : 
sixteen  cities  with  their  villages. 

23  This  is  the  inheritance  of 
the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Issa- 
char according  to  their  families, 
the  cities  and  their  villages. 

24  H  And  the  fifth  lot  came 
out  for  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Asher  according  to  their  fa- 
milies. 

25  And  their  border  was  Hel- 
kath,  and  Hali  and  Beten,  and 
Achshaph, 

26  And  Alammelech,  and 
Amad,  and  Misheal ;  and  reach- 
eth to  Carmel  westward,  and  to 
Shihor-libnath  ; 

27  And  turneth  toward  the 
sun  rising  to  Beth-dagoti,  and 
reacheth  to  Zebulun,  and  to  the 
valley  of  Jiphthah-el  toward  the 
north  side  of  Beth-emek,  and 
Neiel,  and  goeth  out  to  Cabul 
on  the  left  hand, 

28  And  Hebron,  and  Rehob, 
and  Hammon,  and  Kanah,  ^even 
unto  great  Zidon  ; 

29  And  then  the  coast  turneth 
to  Ramah,  and  to  the  strong 
city  Tyre  ;  and  the  coast  turneth 
to   Hosah  :  and  the   out-goings 

f  ch.  U.  8.  Judg.  1.  31. 


a  great  distance  to  the  north  of  the 
Beth-lehem  in  Judah  where  our  Lord 
was  born. 

25.  And  their  border.  The  word 
'  border  '  or  '  boundary '  both  here 
and  in  what  follows,  is  not  to  be  un- 
derstood simply  ofthe boundary  line, 
but  also  of  all  the  towns  and  lands 
which  it  embraces.  It  might  be  ren- 
dered, '  district '  or  '  territory.' 


A.  C.  1444.1 

thereof  are  at  the  sea  from  the 
coasi  to  gAchzib : 

30  Ummah  also,  and  Aphek, 
and  Rehob :  tvventy  and  two 
cities  with  their  villages. 

31  This  is  the  inheritance  of 
the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Ash- 
er  according  to  their  families, 
these  cities  with  their  villages. 

32  IT  The  sixth  lot  came  out 
to  the  children  of  Naphtali,  even 
for  the  children  of  Naphtali  ac- 
cording to  their  families. 

33  And  their  coast  was  from 
Heleph,  from  Allon  to  Zaanan- 
nim,  and  Adami,  Nekeb,  and 
Jabneel,  unto  Lakum ;  and  the 
out-goings  thereof  were  at  Jor- 
dan : 

34  And  then  Hhe  coast  turn- 
eth  westward  to  Aznoth-tabor, 
and  goeth  out  from  thence  to 
TTukkok,  and  reao.heth  to  Zebu- 
lun  on  the  south  side,  and  reach- 
eth  to  Asher  on  the  west  side, 
and  to  Judah  upon  Jordan  to- 
ward  the  sun-rising. 

35  And  the  fenced  cities  are 
Ziddim,  Zer,  and  Hammath, 
Rakkath,  and  Cinneroth, 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


143 


gGen. 


5.    Judg.  1.  31.    Mic.  1.  H. 


30.  Twenty  and  tioo  ciHes.  The 
above  enumeration  gives  us  nearly 
thirty  cities  instead  of  twenty-two, 
but  probably  several  are  mentioned 
which  were  only  frontier  towns, 
sometimes  reckoned  as  belonging  to 
one  tribe,  and  sometimes  to  another, 
or  perhaps  some  of  the  appendant 
villages  are  named,  as  well  as  the 
logons. 

34.  To  Judah  upon  Jordan.  How 
this  is  to  be  understood  is  not  clear. 
It  is  certain  that  the  tribe  of  Naph- 
tali did  not  border  on  the  east  nor  in 
any  other  direction,  upon  Judah,  for 


36  And  Adamah,  and  Ramah» 
and  Hazor, 

37  And  Kedesh,  and  Edrei, 
and  En-hazor, 

38  And  Iron,  and  Migdal-el, 
Horem,  and  Beth-anath,  and 
Beth-shemesh ;  nineteen  cities 
with  their  villages. 

39  This  is  the  inheritance  of 
the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Naph- 
tali according  to  their  families 
the  cities  and  their  villages. 

40  ^  And  the  seventh  lot 
came  out  for  the  tribe  of  the 
children  of  Dan  according  to 
their  families. 

41  And  the  coast  of  their  in- 
heritance was  Zorah,  and  Esh- 
taol,  and  Ir-shemesh, 

42  And  iShaalabbin,  and  Aja- 
lon,  and  Jethlah, 

43  And  Elon,  and  Thimna- 
thah,  and  Ekron, 

44  And  Eltekeh,  and  Gibbe- 
thon,  and  Baalath, 

45  And  Jehud,  and  Bene-bc- 
rak,  and  Gath-rimmon, 

46  And  Me.jarkon  and  Rak- 
kon,  with  the  border  before  Jap- 
ho. 

i  Judg.  1.  35. 


there  were  several  tribes  that  lay  be- 
tween them.  Both  tribes,  however, 
were  bounded  by  the  Jordan  on  the 
east,  and  they  might  be  considered 
as  in  some  sort  conjoined  by  the  easy 
communication  with  each  other  by 
means  of  that  river.  This  we  deem 
the  only  plausible  interpretation  of 
the  passage,  and  thus  understood  it 
goes  strikingly  to  illustrate  the  ob- 
scure prediction  of  Moses,  Deut.  33. 
23,  that  Naphtali  should  '  possess  the 
west  and  the  south,'  i.  e.  that  although 
his  settlement  should  be  in  the  west 
or   northwest,  yet  by  means  of  the 


144 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


47  And  H\-\Q  coast  of  the  chil- 
dren  of  Dan,  went  out  too  Utile 
for  them  :  therefore  the  children 
of  Dan  went  up  to  fight  against 
Leshem,  and  took  it,  and  smote 
it  with  the  edge  of  the  sword, 
and  possessed  it,  and  dwelt  there- 
in, and  called  Leshem,  'Dan,  after 
the  name  of  Dan  their  father. 

48  This  is  the  inheritance  of 
the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Dan 


k  See  Judg.  18. 


1  Jiulg.  18.  29. 


navigation  of  the  Jordan,  he  should 
avail  himself  of  the  advantages  of 
traffic  with  all  the  southern  section 
of  the  land. 

47.  The  coast  of  the  children  of  Dan 
vjent  out  too  little  for  them.  Heb. 
'went  out  from  them;'  i.  e.  out  of 
their  hands,  out  of  their  possession. 
A  similar  usage  of  the  Heb.  verb  oc- 
curs Lev.  25. 28 — 33,  where  the  lands 
in  the  year  of  jubilee  are  said  to  '  go 
out ;'  i.  e.  out  of  the  hands  of  the  pre- 
sent possessor,  to  the  original  ownp^r. 
The  meaning  here  undoubtedly  is, 
that  the  Danites,  being  closely  press- 
ed upon  by  iheir  powerful  neighbors 
the  Philistines,  were  forced  in  con- 
siderable numbers  to  abandon  their 
allotted  possessions.  In  consequence 
of  having  their  original  portion  thus 
wrested  out  of  their  hands,  they  were 
induced  to  seek  another  in  a  distant 
quarter  of  the  land,  and  made  an  in- 
road accordingly  upon  Leshem,  lying 
at  the  foot  of  mount  Lebanon  and  near 
the  sources  of  the  river  Jordan,  This 
event,  which  occurred  some  time 
after  the  death  of  Joshua,  and  is  more 
fully  recorded,  Judg.  18.  1 — 29,  is 
touched  upon  here  both  to  complete 
what  is  said  of  the  inheritance  of  the 
Danites,  and  to  intimate  how  it  hap- 
pened, that  a  part  of  the  tribe  were 
afterwards  found  inhabiting  a  dis- 
trict of  the  country  so  remote  from 
their  original  possessions.  This  ad- 
dition to  the  narrative  was  perhaps 
made  by  Phineas. 

49.  The  children  of  Israel  gave  an 
inheritance  to  Joshxia.    As  it  is  said 


according  to  their  families^  these 
cities  with  their  villages. 

49  IT  When  they  had  made 
an  end  of  dividing  the  land  for 
inheritance  by  their  coasts,  the 
children  of  Israel  gave  an  inher- 
itance to  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun 
among  them  : 

50  According  to  the  word  of 
the  Lord  they  gave  him  the  city 
which  he  asked,  even  "'Timnath- 


immediately  afterwards,  v.  50,  that 
Joshua  received  his  inheritance  '  ac- 
cording to  the  word  of  the  Lord,'  it 
could  be  considered  no  otherwise  the 
gift  of  the  people,  than  as  they  cheer- 
fully acquiesced  in  the  assignment, 
and  were  glad  of  an  opportunity  of 
thus  testifying,  by  their  hearty  con- 
currence, their  affection  for  their 
venerable  leader  and -their  interest 
in  his  comfortable  settlement  in  his 
old  age.     On  his  part,  he  evinced  a 

sfriking  m.O£?eration  and  <li«;inter<3ct 

edness,  and  proposed  a  noble  exam- 
ple to  all  in  public  places,  in  making 
no  provision  for  himself  till  he  saw 
all  the  tribes  fixed  in  their  respective 
inheritances.  This  was  acting  in 
the  true  spirit  of  a  public  servant — 
to  prefer  the  general  welfare  to  his 
private  convenience,  ease,  or  emol- 
ument. So  the  servants  of  Christ, 
while  they  fully  appreciate  and  ar- 
dently covet  an  inheritance  in  the 
Canaan  above,  will  deem  it  soon 
enough  to  enter  upon  it  when  they 
have  done  all  in  their  power  towards 
bringing  others  to  partake  of  the 
same  glorious  possession. 

50.  According  to  the  word  of  the 
Lord.  According  lo  the  promise  of 
the  Lord ;  made  probably  at  the  same 
timejthat  a  particular  inheritance 
was  promised  to  Caleb.  This  is  to  be 
inferred  from  Caleb's  words,  ch.  14. 
6,  who  in  speaking  to  Joshua  says, 
'  Thou  knowest  the  things  that  the 
Lord  said  unto  Moses  the  man  of 
God  concerning  me  and  thee  in  Ka- 
desh-barnea.'    As  Joshua  had,  on  the 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XX. 


145 


"serah  in  mount  Ephraim  :  and 
he  built  the'  city,  and  dwelt 
therein. 

51  °These  «re  the  inheritances 
which  Eleazar  the  priest  and  Jo- 
shua the  son  of  Nun,  and  the 
heads  of  the  fathers  of  the  tribes 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  divided 
for  an  inheritance  by  lot  ^in 
Shiloh  before  the  Lord,  at  the 
door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  con- 

n  I  Chr.  7.  24.       o  Num.  34.  17.     ch.  11.  1.      p  ch. 
18.  1,  10. 

occasion  referred  to,  evinced  equal 
courage  and  fidelity  with  Caleb,  it 
is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  he  re- 
ceived the  same  tokens  of  the  divine 
approbation.  IT  Timnath-serah. 

Called  Timnath-heres,  Judg.  2.  9. 
where  we  learn  that  the  name  of  the 
mountain  on  which  it  stood  was  Ga- 
ask.  It  was  here  that  Joshua  was  bu- 
ried, ch.  24. 30.  IT  He  built  the  city. 
Repaired  it,  put  it  in  order,  perhaps 
enlarged  and  adorned  it.  In  this 
sense  Nebuchadnezzar  is  said  Dan. 
4.  30,  '  to  have  built  Babylon.' 

51.  These  are  the  inheritances,  &c. 
This  verse  is  inserted  as  a  general 
conclusion  to  all  that  has  been  thus 
far  said  of  the  distribution  of  the 
land  among  the  several  tribes.  The 
writer  now  turns  to  another  sub- 
ject. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

2.  Appoint  out  for  you  cities  of  re- 
fuge. Heb.  'give  for  yourselves.' 
"No  delinquency  on  the  part  of  Josh- 
ua is  to  be  inferred  from  this  com- 
mand, as  if  he  had  neglected,  or  were 
likely  to  neglect,  a  very  important 
part  of  the  arrangements  designed  to 
be  carried  into  effect  after  the  settle- 
ment of  Israel  in  Canaan.  He  was 
well  aware  of  the  divine  intention 
in  this  respect,  and  would  doubtless 
have  acted  upon  it,  as  well  as  upon 
every  other  order  with  which  he 
was  charged,  but  God  saw  fit  to  inter- 
pose to  remind  him  that  noio  was  the 
precise  time,  when  the  tribes  had  just 
13* 


gregation.    So  they  made  an  end 
of  dividing  the  country. 

CHAPTER   XX. 
^  pHE  Lord  also  spake  unto  Jo  - 
-^  shua,  saying, 

2  Speak  to  the  children  of 
Israel,  saying,  *  Appoint  out  for 
you  cities  of  refuge,  whereof  I 
spake  unto  you  by  the  hand  of 
Moses  : 

a  Ex.  21.  13.      Num.  35.  6,  11,  U.      Deut.  19.  2,  9- 


received  their  inheritances,  and 
while  they  were  yet  together,  to  se- 
parate the  cities  of  refuge  for  the 
uses  for  which  they  were  intended, 
and  respecting  which  such  copious 
instructions  had  been  before  given, 
Num.  35.  11—34.  Deut.  19.  2—10. 
To  the  notes  on  these  passages  the 
reader  is  referred  for  a  fuller  account 
of  the  nature  and  object  of  this  insti- 
tution. It  was  an  essential  appen- 
dage to  the  patriarchal  system  of  go- 
vernment, as  far  as  the  avenging  of 
blood  was  concerned.  It  has  been 
already  remarked,  that  the  iiearest  of 
kin  to  a  deceased  person  had  not  only 
the  right  of  redeeming  an  inheri- 
tance that  had  been  forfeited  or  ali- 
enated, but  had  also  authority  to  slay 
on  the  spot  the  person  who  had  slain 
his  relative.  But  as  a  man  might 
casually  kill  another  against  whom 
he  had  no  ilJ  will,  and  with  whom 
he  had  no  quarrel,  and  might  thus 
be  liable  to  lose  his  own  life  unde- 
servedly, at  the  hands  of  the  avenger 
pf  blood,  these  privileged  cities  were 
wisely  and  humanely  appointed  for 
the  protection  of  those  who  had  com- 
mitted accidental  homicide,  till  the 
cause  could  receive  a  judicial  hear- 
ing from  the  magistrate.  They  had 
authority,  according  as,  upon  strict 
examination,  they  found  him  guilty 
or  not  of  wilful  murder,  to  deliver 
him  up  to  the  avenger  of  blood,  or, 
after  the  lapse  of  a  certain  time,  to 
grant  him  a  discharge.  IT  By  the 
hand  of  Moses.    By  the  agency,  by 


14(5 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


3  That  the  slayer  that  killeth 
any  person  unawares  and  unwit- 
tingly, may  flee  thither  :  and 
they  shall  >be  your  refuge  from 
the  avenger  of  blood. 

4  And  when  he  that  doth  flee 
unto  one  of  those  cities  shall 
stand  at  the  entering  of  ^the  gate 
of  the  city,  and  shall  declare  his 
cause  in  the  ears  of  the  elders  of 
that  city,  they  shall  take  him  into 
the  city  unto  them,  and  give  him 
a  place,  that  he  may  dwell 
among  them. 

5  ^And  if  the  avenger  of  blood 

bRiHh4.  1,2.  c  Num.  35.  12. 

the  ministry  of  Moses ;  by  bim  as 
an  organ  of  communication. 

3.  The  slayer  that  killeth  any  per- 
son. Heb.  'that  smiteth  (i.  e.  fatal- 
ly) any  soul.'  On  this  frequent  sense 
of  the  word  '  soul/  see  note  on  Gen. 
12.  .5.  IT  Unmoares.  and  unwitiing- 
ly.  Heb. '  through  ignorance,  error, 
or  mistake,  and  without  knowledge.' 
The  conditions  are  stated  with  the 
utmost  explicitness,  in  words  amount- 
ing almost  to  repetition,  as  is  evident- 
ly proper  where  a  matter  of  so  much 
consequence  as  rhe  life  of  a  human 
being  is  concerned.  In  cases  of  icilfnl 
murder,  no  place  whatever  could  af- 
ford protection.  A  man  might  be 
taken  even  from  th^  temple,  or  the 
horns  of  the  altar.  Ex.  21  14 
3  Kings  2.  31,  34. 

4.  Shall  tlandattheenterivoofthc 
gate.  The  usual  place  of  judicatuve 
among  the  people  of  the  East.  ir 
Shall  declare  his  cause.  Shall  give 
a  true,  honest,  and  exact  statement 
of  all  the  circumstances  under  which 
the  accident  occurred.  %  They 

shall  take  him  into  the  city.  Heb. 
'  shall  gather  him.'  Provided  they 
are  satisfied,  from  his  relation  of  the 
facts,  that  he  is  innocent.  If  That 
he  may  dioell  among  them.  It  may  be 
asked  why,  if  the  proper  judges  Vv-ere 
satisfied  of  his  innocence  of  the 
crime  of  wilful  murder,  he  were  not 


pursue  after  him,  then  they  shall 
not  deliver  the  slayer  up  into 
his  hand  ;  because  he  smote  his 
neighbor  unwittingly,  and  hated 
him  not  beforetime. 

G  And  he  shall  dwell  in  that 
city,  '^  until  he  stand  before  the 
congregation  for  judgment  and 
until  the  death  of  the  high  priest 
that  shall  be  in  those  days :  then 
shall  the  slayer  return,  and  come 
unto  his  own  city,  and  unto  his 
own  house,  unta  the  city  from 
whence  he  fled. 

7  IT  And  they  appointed  ^Ke- 

d  Num.  35.  12,  2.5.  e  ch.  21.  32.       1  Chr.  6.  76. 


at  once  dismissed  from  their  juris- 
diction, and  suffered  to  go  at  large 
as  usual.  The  proper  reply  doubt- 
less is,  (1.)  That  he  might  still  be 
in  danger  from  the  enraged  passions 
of  the  pursuer.  (2.)  He  was  to  await 
the  issue  of  another  tiial,  v.  6.  (3.) 
His  detention  was  probably  designed 
as  someA\  hat  of  a  punishment  for  the 
rashness,  or  heedlessness  to  which 
the  homicide  was  owing.  Some- 
thing of  a  penalty  was  to  be  paid  for 
carelessness,  as  well  as  for  crime, 

G.  Until  he  stand  before  the  congre- 
gation for  judgment.  In  order  to  a 
still  greater  security  for  the  interests 
of  justice,  and  to  guard  v.-ith  the  ut- 
most vigilance  against  a  wrong  de- 
cision, another  hearing  seems  to 
have  been  appointed,  after  a  consi- 
derable interval,  and  before  a  larger 
court,  whose  verdict  was  to  be  final 
itj  the  case.  It  is  probable  that  the 
'  congregation'  here  spoken  of  was 
that  of  his  own  city,  or  of  the  people 
at  large,  who  were  also  allowed  to 
constitute  a  tribunal,  and  to  sit  in 
judgment  on  the  case.  Compare 
notes  on  Num.  35.  25.  '^  Until  the 
death  of  the  high  priest.  See  or 
Num.  35.  25. 

7.  And  they  appointed.  Heb. 
'sanctified,  consecrated;'  a  term  im- 
plying the  peculiar  sacrcdness  which 
God  would    have  attached  in    the 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XXr. 


147 


desh  ill  Galilee  in  mount  Naph- 
tali,  and  fShechem  in  mount 
Ephraim,  and  sKirjatli-arba, 
(which  is  Hebron)  in  the  '>moun- 
tain  of  Judah. 

8  And  on  the  other  side  Jordan 
by  Jericho  eastward,  they  as- 
signed iBezer  in  the  wilderness 
upon  the  plain  out  of  the  tribe  of 
Reuben,  and  kRamoth  in  Gilead 
out  of  the  tribe  of  Gad,  and  'Go- 
lan in  Bashan  out  of  the  trib.3  of 
Manasseh. 

9  ™These  were  the  cities  ap- 
pointed for  all  the  children  of 
Israel,  and  for  the  stranger  that 
sojourneth     among    them,   that 

f  ch.  21.  £1.  2  Chr.  I'l.  1.  g  cli.  14-  15.  &  21.  11, 13. 
h  hnk-  1  39.  i  Deut.  4.  43.  ch.  21  36.  1  Chr.  6  78. 
k  ch.  21.  38.  1  Kin.  22. 3.  I  ch.  21.  27.  m  Num.  35.  1-5. 


minds  of  his  people  to  this  institution. 
Accordingly  they  are  sometimes, 
though  not  perhaps  by  the  sacred 
writers,  called  sanctuaries.  IT  In 
mount  Naphtali.  Or,  Heb.  '  in  the 
mountain,'  i.  e  the  mountainous  re- 
gion, or  district  of  Naphtali ;  and  so 
in  respect  to  the  two  other  places 
mentioned.  They  were  situated  on 
high  hills  that  they  might  be  more 
conspicuous  at  a  distance.  It  may 
also  be  remarked  of  these  cities,  (1.) 
That  they  were  located  at  conveni- 
ent distances  from  each  other  for 
the  benefit  of  the  several  tribes.  So 
of  those  here  mentioned,  Kedesh  was 
in  the  northern,  Shechem  in  the 
central,  and  Hebron  in  the  southern 
district  of  Canaan.  (2.)  They  were 
all  Levitical  cities ;  which  appears 
to  have  been  so  ordered,  that  the 
cases  of  manslaughter  might  come 
under  the  cognizance  of  ir.ose  who 
might  be  presumed  to  be  most  thor- 
oughly versed  in  the  law  of  God, 
and  most  competent  to  give  judg- 
ment according  to  it,  and  who  more- 
over would  be  less  likely  than  any 
others  to  be  swayed  by  private  bias 
in  their  decisions.  Compare  Deut. 
21.  5,  where  it  is  said  of  the  priests, 


whosoever  killeth  any  person  at 
unawares  might  flee  thither,  and 
nol  die  by  the  hand  of  the  aven- 
ger of  blood,  "until  he  stood  be- 
fore the  congregation. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
'T^HEN  came  near  the  heads 
-^  of  the  fathers  of  the  Levites 
unto  •'^Eleazar  the  priest,  and  un- 
to Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and 
unto  the  lieads  of  the  fathers  of 
the  tribes  of  the  children  of 
Israel  ; 

2  And  they  spako  unto  them 
at  ^Shiloh  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
saying,  "^The  Lord  commanded 


n  V.  6.  a  ch.  11.  1.  &  !7,  4. 

c  Num.  33.  2. 


the  sons  of  Levi,  that  '  by  their  word 
shall  every  contraversy  and  every 
stroke  be  tried.'  See  also  to  the  same 
purpose  Deut.  17.  S^— 13,  and  the 
notes  on  Deut.  33.  9,  10. 

8.  They  assigned.  Or,  'had  as- 
signed,' for  the  assignment  had  been 
previously  made  by  Moses,  Deut.  4. 
41 — 43  ;  or  the  meaning  may  be,  that 
they  formally  acknowledged,  con- 
firmed, and  ratified  the  selection  that 
JMoses  had  before  made  of  these 
cities. 

9.  Until  he  stood  before  the  congre- 
gation. The  judges  and  elders  of 
the  people,  in  trying  civil  and  cri- 
minal causes,  always  sat;  the  per- 
sons who  came  for  judgment,  or  who 
were  tried  always  stood.  Hence  the 
expressions  so  frequent  in  the  Scrip- 
ture, '  Standing  before  the  Lord,  be- 
fore the  judges,  before  the  elders.' 
&c. 

CHAPTER.  XXL 

1.  The  heads  of  the  fathers  of  the 
Levites.  The  most  distinguished 
persons  among  the  fathers,  chiefs, 
or  elders  of  the  three  families  of 
Kohath,  Gershom,  and  Merari, 
which  constituted  the  body  of  the 


148 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


by  the  hand  of  Moses  to  give  us 
cities  to  dwell  in,  with  the  sub- 
urbs thereof  for  our  cattle. 

3  And  the  children  of  Israel 
gave  unto  the  Levites  out  of 
their  inheritance,  at  the  com- 
mandment  of  the  Lord,  these 
cities  and  their  suburbs. 


tribe  of  Levi.  They  here  make 
their  petition  precisely  at  the  time 
when  it  could  be  most  conveniently 
granted,  viz.  just  after  the  allotments 
had  been  made  to  the  other  tribes. 
Whether  this  was  prior  or  subse- 
quent to  the  designation  of  the  cities 
of  refuge,  mentioned  in  the  forego- 
ing chapter,  it  is  not  possible  to  de- 
termine. 

3.  The  children  of  Israel  gave  un- 
to the  Levites.  They  cheerfully  obey- 
ed the  divine  command.  They  gave 
them  cities  out  of  their  several  in- 
heritances, without  any  fear  of  be- 
ing impoverished  by  the  appropria- 
tion. Nor  will  men  ever  find  them- 
selves suff"erers  in  their  temporal 
interests,  in  consequence  of  a  liberal 
allowance  to  the  ministers  of  the 
sanctuary.  These  cities  were  as- 
signed by  lot,  that  it  might  fully  ap- 
pear that  God  designed  the  Levites 
their  habitations^  as  he  designed  the 
others  their  inheritances.  The  re- 
sult of  this  arrangement  would  na- 
turally be,  that  the  Levites  would  be 
dispersed  in  every  part  of  the  land, 
to  instruct  the  people  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  divine  law,  to  edify  them 
by  their  example,  to  restrain  them 
from  idolatry,  and  prompt  them  to  a 
constant  adherence  to  the  worship  of 
Jehovah,  the  only  true  God.  Thus 
the  prophetic  sentence  of  the  patri- 
arch, Gen.  49.  7,  that  they  should  be 
'  divided  in  Jacob,  and  scattered  in 
Israel,'  though  originally  carrying 
with  it  a  punitive  import,  was 
through  the  special  mercy  of  heaven 
converted  to  a  blessing  to  themselves 
and  to  the  nation,  IT  These  cities. 
Referring  to  those  which  are  enu- 
merated in  the  sequel  of  this  chapter. 


4  And  the  lot  came  out  for  the 
families  of  the  Kohathites  :  and 
''the  children  of  Aaron  the  priest, 
which  were  of  the  Levites,  «had 
by  lot  out  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
and  out  of  the  tribe  of  Simeon, 
and  out  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin, 
thirteen  cities. 


4.  And  the  lot  came  out.  It  would 
seem  that  a  certain  number  of  cities 
were  previously  designated  and  set 
apart  en  masse,  as  the  habitations  of 
the  Levites,  and  that  the  particitlar 
appropriation  of  them  to  the  several 
families  and  their  branches  was  then 
determined  by  lot.  IT  The  children 
of  Aaron  the  priest.  All  the  Ko- 
hathites were  children  of  Aaron,  in 
being  lineally  descended  from  him, 
but  they  were  not  all  priests  ;  where- 
as the  phrase  '  children  of  Aaron' 
here  is  but  another  name  for  the 
priests,  his  successors  in  office ;  and 
these  had  their  allotment  of  cities  in 
the  tribes  of  Judah,  Simeon,  and 
Benjamin  ;  the  rest,  who  Avere  mere- 
ly Levites  and  not  priests,  had  their 
lot,  as  appears  from  v.  5,  in  the  tribes 
of  Ephraim,  Dan,  and  the  half-tribe 
of  Manasseh.  The  providence  of 
God  in  this  assignment  is  very  re- 
markable, as  in  consequence  of  it 
the  priestly  part  of  Aaron's  posterity, 
who  were  the  stated  ministers  of 
the  sanctuary,  the  seat  of  which  was 
afterwards  to  be  fixed  at  Jerusalem, 
had  their  location  nearest  to  that  city, 
so  that  they  were  always  convenient- 
ly situated  with  reference  to  the  work 
to  which  they  were  appointed.  IT 
Thirteen  cities.  This  was  a  large 
proportion  for  the  present  number 
of  priests,  which  was  small,  but  in 
view  of  the  prospective  increase  of 
this  body,  and  their  future  wants,  it 
was  no  more  than  was  requisite. 
As  to  the  nature  of  the  tenure  by 
which  the  Levites,  held  these  ap- 
propriated cities,  the  probability  is 
that  they  had  no  other  property  in 
them  than  merely  the  right  to  cer- 
tain places  of  habitation,  whieh  they 


A.  C.  1444.] 

5  And  ^the  rest  of  the  children 
of  Kohath  had  by  lot  out  of  the 
families  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim, 
and  out  of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  and 
out  of  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh, 
ten  cities. 

6  And  °the  children  of  Ger- 
shon  had  by  lot  out  of  the  families 
of  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  and  out 
of  the  tribe  of  Asher,  and  out  of 
the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  and  out  of 
the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh  in 
Bashan,  thirteen  cities. 

7  i^The  children  of  Merariby 
their  families  had  out  of  the  tribe 
of  Reuben,  and  out  of  the  tribe 
of  Gad,  and  out  of  the  tribe  of 
Zebulun,  twelve  cities. 

8  iAnd  the  children  of  Israel 
gave   by   lot   unto  the  Levites 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


149 


g  V.  27,  &c. 


hv.  31,&c.     iv- 3. 


might  let  or  sell,  bui  •  Iways  with 
the  right  of  perpetual  redemption; 
and  with  the  understanding  thr;*  they 
were  to  return  to  them  in  uic  year 
of  jubilee.  But  on  this  head  see  notes 
on  Lev.  25.  32,  33. 

5.  Out  of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  d^-c,  ten 
cities.  A  less  number  than  was 
given  out  of  the  tribes  above-men- 
tioned, because  their  inheritance 
was  less.  The  law  by  which  the 
appropriation  was  to  be  regulated  is 
contained  Num.  35.  8,  '  And  the  cit- 
ies which  ye  shall  give  shall  be  the 
possession  of  Israel ;  from  them  that 
have  many  (cities),  ye  shall  give 
m.any  ;  but  from  them  that  have  few, 
ye  shall  give  few  ;  every  one  shall 
give  of  his  cities  unto  the  Levites, 
according  to  his  inheritance  which 
he  inheriteth.'  It  may  be  remarked, 
that  there  is  no  evidence  that  the 
priests  were  bound  to  live  in  these, 
and  in  no  other  cities.  When  the 
tabernacle  was  at  Nob,  both  the 
priests  and  Levites  dwelt  there, 
I  Sam.  21.  1—7 ;  and  when  the  wor- 


these  cities  with  their  suburbs,  ^as 
the  Lord  commanded  by  the 
hand  of  Moses. 

9  IT  And  they  gave  out  of  the 
tribe  of  the  children  of  Judah, 
and  out  of  the  tribe  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Simeon,  these  cities 
which  are  here  mentioned  by 
name, 

10  1  Which  the  children  of  Aa- 
ron, being  o^  the  families  of  the 
K^hathites,  who  were  of  the  child- 
ren  of  Levi,  had :  for  theirs 
was  the  first  lot. 

11  -"And  they  gave  them  the 
city  of  Arba  the  father  of  "Anak 
■  which  city  is  Hebron)  °in  the 
.aW'Country  of  Judah,  with  the 
.suburbs  thereof  round  about  it. 

12  But  nhe  fields  of  the  city, 

k  Num.  35.  2.  lver.4.  m  1  Chr.  6.  55.  n  ch. 
15  13,  14.  o  ch.  20.  7.  Luke  1.  39.  p  ch.  14.  14. 
I   .hr.  6.56. 

ship  of  God  was  established  at  Jeru- 
salem, multitudes  both  of  priests  and 
Levites  resided  there,  though  it  was 
1  1  Levitical  city  ;  as  did  the  courses 
of  the  priests  afterwards  at  Jericho. 
This  was  a  circumstance  which 
Moses  had  foreseen  and  for  which 
he  had  provided,  Deut,  18.  6,  &c. 
So,  on  the  other  hand,  persons  be- 
longing to  the  other  tribes  were  not 
precluded  from  living  in  the  Leviti- 
cal cities  ;  as  for  instance  Gibeah  of 
Benjamin,  which  is  here  made  a 
Levitical  city,  v.  17,  was  always 
peopled  by  the  Benjamites,  as  ap- 
pears from  Judg.  19. 

12,  The  fields  of  the  city—^gave  theij 
to  Caleb.  As  it  would  not  necessa- 
rily involve  the  exclusion  of  himself 
or  his  family  from  a  residence  in  the 
city,  he  probably  gave  it  to  the  priests 
in  order  to  set  an  example  to  his 
brethren  of  cheerfully  contributing 
to  the  maintenance  of  religion.  See 
on  ch.  14.  6 — 15. 

25.  Tanach  with  her  suburbs,  and 
Gath-rimmon.    In  the  parallel  pas- 


150 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


and  the  villages  thereof,  gave 
they  to  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephun- 
neh  for  his  possession. 

13  IF  Thus  ''they  gave  to  the 
children  of  Aaron  the  priest, 
""Hebron  with  her  suburbs  to  he 
a  city  of  refuge  for  the  slayer  : 
^  and  Libnah  with  her  suburbs, 

14  And  tJatir  with  her  sub- 
urbs, "and  Eshtemoa  with  her 
suburbs, 

15  And  ^Holon  with  her  sub- 
urbs, yand  Debir  with  her  sub- 
urbs, 

16  And  ^Ain  with  her  suburbs, 
^and  Juttah  with  her  suburbs, 
and  i^Beth-shemesh  with  her 
suburbs  ;  nine  cities  out  of  those 
two  tribes. 

17  And  out  of  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin,  "^Gibeon  with  her  sub- 
urbs, ''Gcba  with  her  suburbs, 

18  Anathoth  with  her  sub- 
urbs, and  «Almon  with  her  sub- 
urbs ;  four  cities. 

19  All  the  cities  of  the  chil- 
dren  of  Aaron,  the  priests,  were 
thirteen  cities  with  their  suburbs. 

20  IT  fAnd  the  families  of  the 
children  of  Kohath,  the  Levites 
which  remained  of  the  children 
of  Kohath,  even  they  had  the 
cities  of  their  lot  out  of  the  tribe 
of  Ephraim. 

q  1  Chr.  6.  57.  &c.  r  ch.  15.  54.  &  20.  7.  s  ch. 
I5.'42.  t  cli.  15.  48.  u  ch.  15.  50.  x  1  Chr.  6.  58. 
ch.  15.  51.  y  ch.  15.  49.  z  1  Chr.  6.  59.  ch.  1.^.  42. 
a  ch  15.  55.  bch.lo.  10.  c  ch.  18.  25.  d  ch.  18.  24. 
e  1  Chr.  6.  60.        f  ver.  5.     1  Chr.  6.  66. 


sage,  1  Chron.  6,  70,  Aner  and  Bi- 
leam  are  mentioned  instead  of  the 
above.  A  careful  examination  of 
the  two  catalogues  will  discover 
several  other  discrepancies  of  the 
same  kind,  which  are  probably  ow- 
ing to  the  fact,  either  that  some  of 
the  cities  were  called  by  different 


21  For  they  gave  them  "She- 
chem  with  her  suburbs  in  mount 
Ephraim,  to  le  a  city  of  refuge 
for  the  slayer  ;  and  Gezer  with 
her  suburbs, 

22  And  Kibzaim  with  her  sub- 
urbs, and  Beth-horon  with  her 
suburbs,  four  cities. 

23  And  out  of  the  tribe  of 
Dan,  Eltekeh  with  her  suburbs, 
Gibbethon  with  her  suburbs, 

24  Aijalon  with  her  suburbs, 
Gath-  rimmon  with  her  suburbs  ; 
four  cities. 

25  And  out  of  the  half-tribe  of 
Manasseh,  Tanach  with  her  sub- 
urbs, and  Gath-rimmon  with  her 
suburbs  ;  two  cities. 

26  All  the  cities  were  ten  with 
their  suburbs,  for  the  families  of 
the  children  of  Kohath  that  re- 
mained. 

27  IT  '^And  unto   the   chilrlT<=>n 

of  Gershon,  of  the  families  of  the 
Levites,  out  of  the  other  half- 
tribe  of  Manasseh  they  gave  'Go- 
lan in  Bashan  with  her  suburbs,  . 
to  he  a  city  of  refuge  for  the 
slayer,  and  Beesh-terah  with  her 
suburbs ;  two  cities. 

28  And  out  of  the  tribe  of 
Issachar,  Kishon  with  her  sub- 
urbs, Dabareh  with  her  suburbs, 

29  Jarmuth  with  her  suburbs, 

g  ch  .  20.  7.        h  ver.  6.    1  Chr.  6.  71.       i  ch.  20.  8- 


names,  or  that  their  names  in  pro- 
cess of  time  were  changed.  Others 
conjecture  that  some  of  the  cities 
here  enumerated  being  at  this  time 
in  possession  of  the  Canaanites,  and 
not  easily  to  be  taken  out  of  their 
hands,  others  were  given  them  in 
their  stead. 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


151 


En.gannim   with   her  suburbs; 
four  cities. 

30  And  out  of  the  tribe  of  As- 
her,  Mishal  with  her  suburbs, 
Abdon  with  her  suburbs, 

31  Helkath  with  her  suburbs, 
and  Rehob  with  her  suburbs  ; 
four  cities. 

32  And  out  of  the  tribe  of 
Naphtah*,  ^Kedesh  in  GaUlee 
with  her  suburbs,  to  he  a  city  of 
refuge  for  the  slayer  :  and  Ham- 
moth-dor  with  her  suburbs,  and 
Kartan  with  her  suburbs,  tliree 
cities. 

33  All  the  cities  of  the  Ger- 
shonites,  according  to  their  fa- 
milies, iDere  thirteen  cities  with 
their  suburbs. 

34  IF  lAnd  unto  the  families  of 
the  children  of  Merari,  the  rest 
of  the  Levites,  out  of  the  tribe 
of  Zebulun,  Jokneam  with  her 
suburbs,  and  Kartah  with  her 
suburbs, 

35  Dimnah  with  her  suburbs, 
Nahalal  with  her  suburbs  ;  four 
cities. 

36  And  out  of  the  tribe  of 
Reuben,  '"Bezer  with  her  sub- 


k  ch.  20.  7. 
20.  8. 


1  ver.  7.     See  1  Chr.  6.  77        m  ch. 


41.  All  the  cities — were  forty  and 
eight  cities,  loith  their  sitburbs.  This 
was  in  exact  accordance  with  the 
direction  given  by  Moses  several 
years  before,  as  we  learn  from  Num. 
35.  7.  This  order  of  Moses  is  a  di- 
rect demonstration  that  it  was  given 
under  divine  inspiration,  as  other- 
wise, how  could  he  possibly  have 
known  that  so  many  cities  could  be 
assigned  to  the  Levites,  without  un- 
duly encroaching  on  the  limits  of 
the  other  tribes  1 

42.  These  cities  were  every  one 
with  their  svMirbs  round  about  them. 


urbs,  and  Jahazah  with  her  sub- 
urbs, 

37  Kedemoth  with  her  sub- 
urbs, and  Mephaath  with  her  sub- 
urbs ;  four  cities. 

38  And  out  of  the  tribe  of 
Gad,  "Ramoth  in  Gilead  with 
her  suburbs,  to  le  a  city  of  re- 
fuge  for  the  slayer  ;  and  Maha- 
naim  with  her  suburbs, 

39  Heshbon  with  her  suburbs, 
Jazer  with  her  suburbs ;  four 
cities  in  all. 

40  So  all  the  cities  for  the 
children  of  Merari  by  their  fam- 
ilies, which  were  remaining  of 
the  families  of  the  Levites,  were 
by  their  lot  twelve  cities. 

41  "All  the  cities  of  the  Le- 
vites within  the  possession  of  the 
children  of  Israel  were  fort)^  and 
eight  cities  with  their  suburbs. 

42  These  cities  were  every  one 
with  their  suburbs  round  about 
them.   Thus  were  all  these  cities. 

43  ^  And  the  Lord  gave  un- 
to  Israel  ^all  the  land  which  he 
sware  to  give  unto  their  fathers  : 
and  they  possessed  it,  and  dwelt 
therein. 


n  ch.  20  8.  o  Num.  35.  7. 

15.  J  8.  &26.  3.  &28.  4,  13. 


p  Gen.  13.  15. 


Heb.  'these  cities  were  city,  city, 
and  suburbs  round  about  them.' 
That  is,  they  each  and  every  one  had 
suburbs  attached  to  them ;  by  which  is 
meant  the  adjacent  territory  to  the 
extent  of  two  thousand  cubits  on 
every  side ;  of  which  see  Num.  35.  5. 
43.  And  the  Lord  gave  unto  Israel 
all  the  land,  &c.  The  foregoing  his- 
tory is  here  wound  up  by  a  suitable 
acknowledgement  of  the  faithfulness 
of  God,  in  the  performance  of  all  his 
promises.  The  Canaanites,  it  is 
true,  were  yet  in  possession  of  some 
parts  of  the  country,  but  they  were 


152 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


44  <ix\nd  the  Lord  gave  them 
rest  round  about,  according  to 
all  that  he  sware  unto  their  fa- 
thers :  and  'there  stood  not  a 
man  of  ail  their  enemies  before 
them  ;  the  Lord  delivered  all 
their  enemies  into  their  hand. 

45  ^There  failed  not  aught 
of  any  good  thing  which  the 
Lord  had  spoken  unto  the  house 
of  Israel ;  all-  came  to  pass. 

q  ch.  1  .  23.   &  22.  4.      r  Deut.  7.  21.      s  ch.  23.  14 

SO  far  subdued,  that  ihey  gave  them 
no  serious  molestation,  and  they 
were  enabled  to  sit  down  in  their 
possessions  in  the  enjoyment  of  com- 
parative rest  and  quiet.  They  had 
as  much  of  the  land  in  actual  posses- 
sion as  they  could  occupy  ;  and  as 
they  increased  God  enabled  them, 
according  to  his  promise,  Ex.  23.  30, 
to  carry  forward  the  work  of  exter- 
mination, and  obtain  farther  room 
for  their  settlement.  All  the  assu- 
rances given  to  Joshua,  ch.  1.  5,  of 
a  successful  tide  of  victories  during 
his  life  were  accomplished,  and  as 
to  the  subsequent  annoyance  and  oc- 
casional prevalence  of  their  enemies, 
it  was  owing  solely  to  the  supine- 
ness  and  infidelity  of  Israel .  So  long 
as  they  were  obedient,  they  were  uni- 
formly triumphant  and  prosperous. 
See  notes  on  ch.  1.  5.  '  The  inviol- 
able truth  of  God's  promise,  and  the 
performance  of  it  to  the  utmost,  is 
what  all  the  saints  have  been  ready  to 
bear  their  testimony  to ;  and  if  in  any 
thing  it  has  seemed  to  come  short, 
they  have  been  as  ready  to  own  that 
they  themselves  must  bear  all  the 
blame.'  Henry.  '  In  due  season  all 
the  promises  of  God  will  be  accom- 
plished to  his  true  people  ;  and  their 
believing  hope,  and  patient  waiting 
and  self-denying  obedience,  will  ter- 
minate in  joyful  songs  of  triumph, 
and  thankful  celebrations  of  his 
faithfulness,  love,  and  power.  Then 
it  will  be  universally  -acknowledged 
that  there  hath  not  failed  ought  of 
any  good  thing  which  the  Lord  had 


CHAPTER  XXn. 
'pHEN  Joshua  called  the  Reu- 
-^  benites,  and  the  Gadites,  and 
the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh, 

2  And  said  unto  them,  Ye 
have  kept  ^all  that  Moses  the 
servant  of  the  Lord  command- 
ed  you,  ^and  have  obeyed  my 
voice  in.  all  that  I  commanded 


you 


3  Ye    have     not    left    your 


20.    Deut.  3. 


b  ch.  1.  16,  17. 


spoken :  nay,  that  he  has  exceeded 
their  largest  expectations,  and  made 
them  more  than  conquerors,  and 
brought  them  to  their  delightful  rest 
and  inheritance.  May  none  of  us  at 
that  season  be  found  among  his  en- 
emies, '  who  shall  be  destroyed  for 
ever.'  '     Scott. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

1.  Then  Joshua  called,  &c.  The 
war  being  now,  for  the  present  at 
least,  concluded,  and  their  services 
no  longer  required. 

3.  Ye  have  not  left  your  brethren 
these  onany  diys  unto  this  day.  Pro- 
bably for  the  space  of  seven  years ; 
for  the  people  were  occupied  for  this 
period  of  time  in  subduing  the  land. 
Yet  it  is  very  possible  that  in  the  in- 
tervals of  action,  and  when  the  rest 
of  the  army  had  retired  into  winter- 
quarters,  some  of  them  at  least  may 
have  visited  their  families  across  the 
Jordan,  or  been  relieved  by  other  de- 
tachments, though  we  have  no  clear 
intimation  that  this  was  the  fact. 
Certain  it  is  that  these  two  tribes  and 
a  half  had  always  their  quota  of  men, 
originally  amounting  to  40,000,  in 
readiness  at  their  respective  posts, 
for  any  service  to  which  they  might 
be  called,  and  after  so  long  "a  delay 
we  can  easily  imagine  how  ardently 
they  must  have  longed  for  the  period 
of  their  release,  when  they  could  re- 
turn to  their  peaceful  homes  to  be 
met  with  a  joyful  welcome  by  their 
wives  and  children.  But  like  faith- 
ful soldiers  they  await  ihe  full  close 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


153 


brethren  these  many  days  unto 
this  day  but  have  kept  tlie 
charge  of  the  commandment  of 
the  Lord  your  God. 

4  And  now  tlie  Lord  your 
God  hath  given  rest  unto  your 
brethren,  as  he  promised  them  : 
therefore  now  return  ye  and  get 
you  unto  your  tents,  and  unto 
the    land   of    your    possession, 


of  the  war  and  an  honorable  dis- 
charge. Had  they  departed  sooner 
they  would  have  been  recalled  as  fu- 
gitives or  branded  as  cowards ;  now 
they  retire  with  blessings  and  ap- 
plause. So  though  our  home  in  hea- 
ven be  ever  so  attractive,  we  are  re- 
quired to  remain  contentedly  on  earth 
till  our  warfare  be  accomplished, 
and,  instead  of  anticipating  our  re- 
moval, to  wait  for  a  due  discharge 
at  the  hands  of  our  divine  Leader. 

4.  Get  you  unto  your  tents.  To 
your  settled  habitations,  frequently 
called  tents  in  the  scri])turcs.  2  Sam. 
18.  17.  Hos.  9.  6.  Mai.  2.  12.  It  is 
probable,  however,  that  they  still  re- 
tained somewhat  of  the  nomade  hab- 
its of  their  ancestors,  and  that  tents 
were  by  no  means  uncommon  among 
them. 

5.  Take  diligent  heed,  &c.  Josh- 
ua thinks  it  not  enough  merely  to 
dismiss  them  with  the  commenda- 
tions v/hich  their  zeal  and  fidelity 
had  so  richly  merited,  but  in  the 
spirit  of  a  true  servant  of  God,  adds 
to  his  encomiums  the  most  pious 
counsels  and  exhortations.  It  is  not 
simply  a  general  admonition  relative 
to  their  religious  duties,  in  which 
case  one  or  two  brief  intimations 
would  have  sufficed,  but  the  express- 
ions are  remarkably  varied  and  ac- 
cumulated, to  show  in  the  most  for- 
cible manner  the  unspeakable  im- 
portance to  every  child  of  man  of  a 
life  of  devoted  obedience.  They 
were  to  give  the  most  diligent  heed 
to  themselves  to  see  that  the  love  of 
God,  as  the  great  ruling  principle  of 

14 


^ which  Moses  the  servant  of 
the  Lord  gave  you  on  the  other 
side  Jordan. 

5  But  '•take  diligent  heed  to 
do  the  commandment  and  the 
law,  which  Moses  the  servant  of 
the  Lord  charged  you,  «to  love 
the  Lord  your  God  and  to  walk 
in  ail  his  ways,  and  to  keep  his 
commandments,    and  to  cleave 

c  N.im.  3J.  33.     Deut.  29.  8.    ch.  13.  8.        d  Deut. 
6.6,  17.  &  11.  2i         eDeui.  10.  12. 


action,  was  deeply  seated  in  their 
hearts  ;  this  must  be  evinced  by  the 
universality  of  their  obediencQ,  ex- 
tending to  every  divine  precept,  and 
still  further  illustrated  by  the  con- 
stancy ^  hurmlily,  resolution,  and  af- 
fection which  were  to  characterise 
their  walk.  Counsel  like  this  can 
never  be  unseasonable  or  superflu- 
ous. Even  the  most  established  Chris- 
tian, whose  progress  in  holiness 
has  hitherto  been  most  exemplary, 
cannot  deem  himself  beyond  the  need 
of  similar  exhortations.  As  long  as 
he  abides  in  the  flesh  he  needs  to  be 
'  put  in  remembrance  of  these  things, 
though  he  knows  them,  and  be  estab- 
lished in  the  present  truth.'  Especi- 
ally does  he  need  these  kindly  moni- 
tions when  settled  down,  or  about  to 
be  settled  down,  in  a  state  of  peace 
and  prosperity ;  for  such  a  state  is 
one  of  peculiar  danger  to  his  spirit- 
ual interests.  These  disbanded  sol- 
diers of  Israel  were  now  returning  to 
the  bosom  of  their  families,  and  the 
peaceful  prosecution  of  their  world- 
1}^  business.  They  needed,  therefore, 
to  be  reminded  of  the  danger,  of 
which  Moses  had  long  before  warn- 
ed them,  of  forgetting  the  Lord 
their  God  while  enjoying  *  houses 
which  they  built  not,  wells  which 
they  digged  not,  and  vineyards  whieh 
they  planted  not.'  A  constant  mind- 
fulness of  God  accordingly  was  the 
great  object  of  Joshua's  solicitude  for 
his  departing  brethren,  and  in  his  ex- 
ample we  see  the  spirit  of  a  Christian 
parent  or  guardian,  and  what  kind 
of  counsel  he  will  be  most  anxious 


154 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


unto  him,  and  to  serve  him  with 

all  your  heart,  and  with  all  your 

soul. 

.     6  So  Joshua  ''blessed    them, 

and   sent  them  away  :  and  they 

went  unto  their  tents. 

7  II  Now  to  the  one  half  of 
the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  Moses 
had  given  possession  in  Bashan  : 
ebut  unto  the  other  half  thereof 
gave  Joshua  among  their  breth- 
ren on  this  side  Jordan  west- 
ward. And  when  Joshua  sent 
them  away  also  unto  their  tents, 
then  he  blessed  them, 

8  And  he  spake  unto  them, 
saying,  Return  with  much  riches 
unto  your  tents,  and  with  very 
much  cattle,  with  silver,  and 
with  gold,  and  with  brass,  and 
with  iron,  and  with   very  much 

f  Gen  47.  7.  Ex.  39.  43.  cli.  14.  13.  2  Sam.  6.  13. 
Luke  21.  50.        g  ch.  17.  5. 

to  impart  to  the  children  of  his  charge 
when  about  to  retire  from  his  imme- 
diate control  and  enter  upon  the  wide 
stage  of  action  in  the  world. 

6.  So  Joshua  blessed  them.  Spake 
respectfully  of  iheir  faithful  services, 
wished  them  every  spiritual  and  tem- 
poral good,  and  prayed  earnestly  to 
God  to  protect  and  prosper  them. 
They  undoubtedly  returned  with  all 
convenient  expedition.  It  had  been 
a  long  absence,  and  the  meeting  was 
no  doubt  proportionably  happy. 
Here  below,  business,  journeys,  voy- 
ages, and  other  casualties  are  con- 
tinually separating  the  dearest  rela- 
tives ;  but  they  are  glad  to  get  home 
in  peace.  How  much  happier  for 
the  Christian  pilgrim,  when  his  war- 
fare of  life  is  accomplished,  to  cross 
Jordan,  and  meet  his  brethren  in 
glory,  the  family  of  God  ! 

7.  To  the  one  half  of  the  tribe  of 
Manasseh,  &c.  This  appears  to 
come  in  here  as  a  parenthesis^  inti- 
mating the  reason  why  the  tribe  was 
divided  into  two  parts.    Moses  had 


raiment :  '^divide  the  spoil  of  your 
enemies  with  your  brethren. 

9  II  And  the  children  of  Reu- 
ben,  and  the  children  of  Gad, 
and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh 
returned,  and  departed  from  the 
children  of  Israel  out  of  Shiloh, 
which  is  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
to  go  unto  >the  country  of  Gil- 
ead,  to  the  land  of  their  posses- 
sion, whereof  they  were  posses- 
sed, according  to  the  word  of  the 
Lord  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 

10  H  And  when  they  came 
unto  the  borders  of  Jordan,  that 
are  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  the 
children  of  Reuben,  and  the 
children  of  Gad,  and  the  half- 
tribe  of  Manasseh  built  there  an 
altar  by  Jordan,  a  great  altar  to 


see  to. 

h  Num.  31.  27.     1  Sam.  30.  14. 


i  Num.  32.  1,  26, 


before  assigned  one  half  of  them 
their  lot  on  the  other  side  Jordan, 

8.  Divide  the  spoil  of  your  enemies 
with  your  brethren.  Your  brethren 
that  have  remained  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Jordan,  protecting  your  fami- 
lies, flocks,  and  goods.  It  is  not  im- 
plied, however,  that  those  who  re- 
mained at  home  were  to  have  an 
equal  share  of  the  spoil,  as  this  would 
have  been  manifestly  unjust  from 
their  superior  numbers  and  inferior 
claims.     See  on  Num.  31.  27. 

10.  The  borders  of  Jordan.  Heb, 
mb^'b^  gcliloth,  properly  the  vnud- 
ings,  mcanderings  made  by  the  Jor- 
dan in  its  course,  sometimes  assum- 
ing almost  a  circular  form,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  sense  of  the  origi- 
nal term,  which  is  used  in  some  ca- 
ses to  signify  a  ring.  The  altar  was 
doubtless  erected  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  Jordan,  but  it  might  have  been 
situated  upon  a  projecting  tongue  or 
promontory  of  land,  that  extended 
into  the  borders  of  Canaan  proper. 
The  reader  will  observe,  moreover| 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


155 


11  IF  And  the  children  of 
Israel  ^heard  say,  Behold,  the 
children  of  Reuben,  and  the 
children  of  Gad,  and  the  half- 
tribe  of  Manasseh,  have  built  an 
alter  over   against   the  land    of 

IcDeut   13.  Vi,  &c.    Judg.  20.  12. 

that  the  word  '  are,'  being  printed  in 
Italics,  does  not  occur  in  the  origi- 
nal, so  that  we  may  as  properly  ren- 
der it  '  is,'  and  understand  the  re- 
lative '  that'  of  the  river  Jordan. 
IT  A  great  altar  to  see  to.  Very  con- 
spicuous. Heb.  'an  altar  great  to 
the  sight.'  A  vast  mass  of  earth, 
stones,  &c.,  elevated  to  a  command- 
ing height  and  visible  at  a  great  dis- 
tance ;  intended  merely  as  a  memo- 
rial to  all  future  ages  that  they  be- 
longed to  the  tribes  of  Israel,  and  that 
they  were  worshippers  of  Israel's 
God,  but  made  in  imitation  of  the 
altar  of  burnt-offering  at  the  taber- 
nacle. Their  motive  in  this  was  an 
apprehension  that  at  some  future  pe- 
riod they  might  be  disowned  by  their 
brethren  on  account  of  their  not  hav- 
ing their  inheritance  in  the  land  of 
Canaan  proper. 

1 1 .  Had  btdlt  an  altar  over  against 
the  kmd  of  Canaan.  This  may  be 
deemed  conclusive  proof  that  the  site 
of  the  altar  was  on  the  east  of  the 
Jordan,  in  the  inheritance  of  the  two 
tribes  and  a  half,  and  not  on  the  vjest. 
There  would  have  been  no  cause  of 
suspecting  it  designed  for  sacrifice, 
had  it  been  built  on  the  Canaan  side 
of  Jordan. 

12.  The  lohole  congregation — gath- 
ered themselves  together.  Not  per- 
haps in  their  own  persons,  but  by 
their  representatives  the  elders,  who 
transacted  all  affairs  of  this  nature 
in  the  name  and  behalf  of  the  peo- 
ple. IT  To  go  up  to  war  against 
them.  The  case  was  one  that  laid  a 
just  ground  for  suspicion.  Having 
no  conception  of  an  altar  being  erect- 
ed for  any  purpose  but  that  of  sacri- 
fice, the  other  tribes  naturally  regard- 
ed it  as  an  act  of  rebellion  against 
God,  and  determined  instantly  to  go 
and  punish  the  supposed  apostates. 


Canaan,  in  the  borders  of  Jordan, 
at  the  passage  of  the  children  of 
Israel. 

12  And  when  the  children  of 
Israel  heard  of  it,  nhe  whole 
congregation  of  the  children  of 


By  an  express  command  Ex.  20.  24' 
Lev.  17.  8,  9.  Deut.  12.  5—13,  the 

nation  had  been  prohibited  from  wor- 
shipping God  except  at  one  altar,  and 
for  what  other  than  a  religious  pur- 
pose could  this  structure  have  been 
reared  ?     They  moreover  felt  them- 
selves impelled  to  this  course  by  the 
tenor  of  the  law,  Deut.  13.  7—13,  re- 
quiring the  most  summary  judgment 
to  be  executed  upon  the  individuals 
or  cities  that  should  be  found  setting 
up  an  idolatrous  worship.  Their  zeal 
for  the  Lord  of  hosts  under  this  im- 
pression   was    very    commendable. 
Though  these  trans- Jordanic  tribes 
are    their   own   brethren,  bone    of 
their  bone,  companions  with  them  in 
tribulation  in  the  wilderness,   and 
their  generous  allies  in  the  wars  of 
Canaan,  yet  if  ihey  revolt  from  the 
true  God  and  turn  to  the  service  of 
idols,  or  openly  make  a  breach  in  the 
unity  of  his  worship,  they  are  deter- 
mined to  treat  them  no  longer  as 
brethren,  but  as  enemies  who  were  to 
be  cut  ofi^as  unsparingly  as  the  Ca- 
naanites    themselves.     Their    holy 
jealousy,  therefore,  in  these  circum- 
stances was  no  more  than  a  proper 
expression  of  their  intense  concern 
for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  honor 
of  his  institutions.     But  their  zeal 
Avas  tempered  with  the  meekness  of 
wisdom,  and  before  proceeding  to 
extremities  they  determined  to  send 
an    embassy    to    inquire    into    the 
facts,  and  if  their  suspicions  were 
confirmed,  to  see  whether  they  could 
not  be  prevailed    upon  by   milder 
methods  to  abandon  their  wicked  en- 
terprise and  return  to  their  allegi- 
ance to  the  God  of  Israel.     Instead 
of  saying  that  the  case  was  too  clear 
to  admit  of  doubt,  or  too  gross  to  al- 
low of  apology,  they  evidently  go  on 
the  presumption  that  they  moAj  have 


156 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


Israel  gathered  themselves  to- 
gether at  Shiloh,  to  go  up  to  war 
against  them. 

13  And  the  children  of  Israel 
•"sent  unto  the  children  of  Reu- 
ben,  and  to  the  children  of  Gad, 
and  to  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh 
into  the  land  of  Gilead,  "Phine- 
has  the  son  of  Eleazar  the  priest, 

14  And  with  him  ten  princes, 
of  each  chief  house  a  prince 
throughout  all  the  tribes  of  Is- 
rael ;  and  °each  one  was  a  head 
of  the  house  of  their  fathers 
among  the  thousands  of  Israel. 

m  Deut.  13.  H.    Judg.  20.   12.      n  Ex.  6.  23.  Num. 
as.  7.        o  Num.  t.  4. 


been  mistaken  in  their  construction 
of  the  affair,  and  that  at  any  rate  it 
was  proper  that  ihey  should  not  con- 
demn their  brethren  unheard,  but 
should  give  them  the  opportunity  of 
justifying  themselves  in  the  measure 
if  it  Avere  possible.  According  to  the 
wise  man's  direction  they  will '  upon 
good  advice  make  war.'  A  noble 
example  of  moderation,  forbearance, 
and  charity,  shines  forth  in  this  con- 
duct. How  many  an  unhappy  strife 
might  be  prevented  by  similar  pre- 
caution, by  simply  staying  to  inquire 
calmly  into  that  which  constitutes  the 
avowed  matter  of  offence !  Hoav  often 
would  a  few  words  of  candid  explan- 
ation smother  in  embryo  the  most 
angry  controversies,  violent  quar- 
rels, and  embittered  persecutions! 
By  barely  adopting  the  prudent  con- 
duct of  Israel  on  this  occasion,  indi- 
viduals, families,  churches,  and  com- 
munities might,  in  a  thousand  instan- 
ces, be  saved  a  world  of  jealousy,  en- 
mity, discord,  war  and  bloodshed. 

13,  14.  Phineas — and  toith  him  teji 
princes.  Persons  of  age,  experience, 
and  approved  discretion,  possessing 
weight  of  character  in  the  congrega- 
tion ,  and  likely  to  be  influenced  more 
by  the  dictates  of  cool  judgment  than 
of  hasty  passion,  were  very  properly 
selected  to  act  in  behalf  of  the  people 


15  IF  And  they  came  unto  the 
children  of  Reuben,  and  to  the 
children  of  Gad,  and  to  the  half- 
tribe  of  Manasseh,  unto  the  land 
of  Gilead,  and  they  spake  with 
them  saying, 

16  Thus  saith  the  whole  con- 
gregation of  the  Lord,  What 
trespass  is  this  that  ye  have 
committed  against  the  God  of  Is- 
rael,  to  turn  away  this  day  from 
following  the  Lord,  in  that  ye 
have  builded  you  an  altar,  Pthat 
ye  might  rebel  this  day  against 
the  Lord  ? 

p  See  Lev  17.  8,  9.        Deut  12.  13,  U. 


on  this  occasion.  The  ardent  tem- 
perament of  younger  men  could  not 
so  safely  be  trusted  on  such  a  trying 
emergency. 

16.  What  trespass  is  this,  &c. 
Without  acquitting  the  ten  tribes  of 
the  charge  of  somewhat  of  an  undue 
precipitancy  in  taking  up  their  un- 
favorable impressions,  the  matter  in 
question  was  one  on  which  they  were 
justified  in  feeling  strongly,  and  act- 
ing promptly.  As  it  now  appeared 
it  was  a  step  fraught  Avith  the  most 
momentous  consequences  to  the 
whole  body  of  Israel.  Repeated  oc- 
casions had  arisen  wherein  the  sin 
of  individuals  had  been  visited  upon 
the  entire  nation.  The  iniquity  of 
Achan  had  not  long  since  caused  the 
defeat  of  Israel's  hosts,  together  with 
the  loss  of  six  and  thirty  men;  and 
not  very  long  before  the  connection 
of  many  with  the  Midianitish  women 
had  brought  destruction  on  twenty- 
four  thousand  Israelites  in  one  day. 
AVhat  then  could  be  expected,  but 
that,  if  those  who  had  erected  the  al- 
tar should  go  unpunished,  God  would 
punish  all  the  other  tribes  as  partners 
in  their  guilt  1  And  if  formerly  one 
man's  sin  wrought  so  much  indigna- 
tion, what  would  be  the  consequen- 
ces of  the  apostacy  of  two  tribes  and 
a  half?  To  avert  so  terrible  an  evil 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


157 


17  75  the  iniquity  ^^ofPeortoo 
little  for  us,  from  which  we  are 
not  cleansed  until  this  day,  al- 
though there  was  a  plague  in 
the  congregation  of  the  Lord, 

18  But  that  ye  must  turn 
away  this  day  from  following 
the  Lord  ?  and  it  will  be,  seeing 
ye  rebel  to-day  against  the 
Lord,  that  to-morrow   'he   will 


q  Num  25.  3,  1.     Deut.  4.  3.        r  Num.  16.  22. 

therefore  they  felt  to  be  their  bound- 
en  duty  at  all  events,  and  in  order  to 
this  nothing  could  be  more  effectual 
than  plainly  reminding  them  of  the 
sad  effects  of  past  transgression.  '  It 
is  good  to  recollect  and  improve  those 
instances  of  the  wrath  of  God  which 
have  fallen  out  in  our  own  time,  and 
of  which  we  ourselves  have  been  eye 
witnesses.  The  remembrance  of 
great  sins  committed  formerly, 
should  engage  us  to  stand  upon  our 
guard  against  the  least  occasions  and 
beginnings  of  sin ;  for  the  way  of  sin 
is  down-hill.'     Henry. 

17.  Is  the  iniquity  of  Peor  too  lit- 
tle for  us?  The  iniquity  of  our  wor- 
shipping Peor.  Num.  25.  3.  Deut.  4. 
3.     Does  this  sin  seem  so  small  to  us 
that  we  cannot  be  content  with  that, 
but  must  go  on  adding  iniquity  to  in- 
iquity 7         IT  From  toJiick  we  are  not 
cleansed  until  this  day.     That  is,  of 
which  we  have  not  ceased  to  suffer 
the  consequences  to  this  day.     The 
wrath  of  God  was  indeed  so  far  ap- 
peased on  that  occasion  by  the  zeal 
of  Phineas,  that  he  stayed  the  farther 
ravages  of  the  plague,  yet  the  shame, 
the  disgrace,  the  infamy  of  that  trans- 
action still  remained,  and  more  than 
this,  some  tokens  of  the  divine  dis- 
pleasure still   continued    to    linger 
among  the  congregation.     As    we 
see  from  the  case  of  David,  men  may 
repent  of  a  heinous   transgressiori 
and  be  graciously  freed  from  the 
guilt  of  it,  while  at  the  same  time 
they  may  continue  to  suffer  from  its 
evil  consequences  even  to  the  close 
of  life.     In    the    present    instance, 
14* 


be  wroth   with   the   whole  con- 
gregation of  Israel. 

19  Notwithstanding,  if  the 
land  of  your  possession  le  un- 
clean, then  pass  ye  over  unto  the 
land  of  the  possession  of  the  Lord, 
"wherein  the  Lord's  tabernacle 
dvvelleth,  and  take  possession 
among  us  :  but  rebel  not  against 
the  Lord,  nor  rebel  agaiiist  us, 

s  ch.  18.  1. 


however,  the  words  may  perhaps  im- 
ply that  some  measure  of  that  cor- 
rupt leaven  still  remained  among 
them,  that  the  infection  was  not 
wholly  cured,  and  that  though  sup- 
pressed for  the  present,  it  was  still 
secretly  working  and  was  liable  co 
break  again  with  fresh  violence,  as 
is  also  intimated  in  the  words  of 
Joshua,  Gh.  24.  23. 

19.  If  the  land  of  your  possession 
be  unclean.     If  you*  have  any  preju- 
dice against  the  land  of  your  inher- 
itance; if  you  think  it  not  equally 
with  ours  under  the  divine  favor 
and  protection.     They  imagined  that 
the  two  tribes  and  a  half  might  think 
their  land  less"  holy  for  the  want  of 
an  altar  and  such  tokens  of  the  di- 
vine presence  as  pertained  to  the 
tabernacle.     An  opinion  was  gener- 
ally prevalent  among  the  azicients, 
that  those  countries,  in  which  there 
\vas  no  place  set  apart  lor  the  w^or- 
ship  of  God,  were  unhallowed  and 
unclean.     The  proposal  displayed  a 
very  generous  and  disinterested  spi- 
rit, a  willingness  to  make  sacrifices 
in  order  to  preserve  purity,  and  con- 
sequently peace.     Rather  than  they 
should  set  up  a  separate  altar  from 
a    groundless    dissatisfaction    with 
their  inheritance,  they  w^ould  cheer- 
fully welcome    them    back  to    the 
other  side  of  the  Jordan,  '  where  the 
Lord's  tabernacle  dwelt,'  though  they 
should  straiten  themselves  by  so  do- 
ing.    But  what  was  a  little  inconve- 
nience to  themselves  w^hen  such  an 
evil  was  to  be  averted,  and  such  a 


158 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1444. 


in  building  you  an  altar  besides 
the  altar  of  the  Lord  our  God. 
20  tDid  not  Achan  the  son 
of  Zerah  commit  a  trespass  in 
the  accursed  thing,  and  wrath 
fell  on  all  the  congregation  of 
Israel  ?  and  that  man  perished 
not  alone  in  his  iniquity. 

t  ch.7.  1,  5. 


ciliatjng,  how  self-denying,  how 
eager  for  accommodation,  is  the 
spirit  of  true  piety !  V  But  rebel  not, 
against  the  Lord.  Implying  that  a  de- 
liberate departure  from  the  instituted 
mode  of  worship  is  nothing  short  of 
downright  rebellion  against  the  God 
of  heaven.  Compare  with  this  the 
parallel  expression  of  Samuel  rela- 
tive to  the  conduct  of  Saul,  1  Sam. 
15.  13.  ir  Beside  the  altar  of  the 
Lord  onr  God.     In  addition  to  it. 

20.  And  that  man  perished  not  alone 
in  his  i7iiquity.  The  idea  expressed 
in  these  words  of  our  common  trans- 
lation is  unquestionably  conveyed  by 
the  original;  still  it  is  not  an  exact 
version.  The  literal  rendering  of 
the  Heb.  is,  '  and  he,  one  man,  did 
not  perish  in  his  iniquity.'  That  is, 
though  he  were  but  a  single  individ- 
ual, and  it  might  have  been  supposed 
that  his  death  v/ould  have  been  the 
winding  up  of  his  existence  in  every 
respect,  yet  in  realit)'-  such  was  his 
relation  to  the  whole  people  as  a  sin- 
ner, such  the  connection  between  his 
offence  and  the  punishment  of  the 
whole  nation,  that  in  one  sense  he 
may  be  said  to  have  survived  his 
own  death.  He  still  lived  in  the 
fearful  effects  of  his  transgression, 
as  visited  upon  the  entire  congrega- 
tion. His  life  and  his  crime  did  not 
terminate  together.  A  strikingly 
analogous  passage  occurs  Num 
27.3. 

21.  The7i  the  children  of  Beuben — 
answered.  If  we  find  somewhat  to 
blame  in  each  of  the  opposite  parties ; 
in  the  one,  an  undue  precipitation  in 
building  the  altar,  and  in  the  other, 
an  undue  hastiness  m  ascribing  it  to 


21  IT  Then  the  children  of  Reu- 
ben, and  the  children  of  Gad, 
and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh 
answered,  and  said  unto  the 
heads  of  the  thousands  of  Israel, 

22  The  Lord  "God  of  gods, 
the  Lord  God  of  gods,  he  ^know- 
eth,  and  Israel  he  shall  know  ;  if 

uDeut.  lO.n.  xlKin.  8,  39.  Job  10.  7.  &  23. 
10.  Ps.  4'1.21.  &  139.1,2.  Jer.  12.  3.  2  Cor.  11. 
11,31. 


wrong  intentions,  we  yet  behold  very 
much  to  admire  in  both.  When  the 
accusers  found  themselves  mistaken, 
they  did  not  shift  their  ground,  and 
condemn  their  brethren  for  impru- 
dence ;  nor  w^hen  the  accused  had 
evinced  their  innocence,  did  they  up- 
braid their  accusers  with  hasty,  rash, 
or  unjust  surmises.  Aware  that  the 
measure  was  easily  susceptible  of  the 
interpretation  their  brethren  had  put 
upon  it,  they  took  their  reproofs,  se- 
vere as  they  were,  in  good  part,  and 
instead  of  angry  retorts  or  recrimi- 
nations, gave  them  the  soft  answer 
which  turneth  away  wrath,  and  by  a 
candid  andhonestdeclaration  of  their 
real  intentions  at  once  set  themselves 
right  in  the  opinion  of  their  breth- 
ren. 

22.  The  Lord  God  of  gods.  The 
original  Avords,  ni!l"i  f^ni&i  ^?^  -^^ 
Elohini  Yehovah,  are  exceedingly 
emphatic,  and  cannot  be  easily  trans- 
lated. They  are  the  three  principal 
names  by  which  the  supreme  God 
was  known  among  the  Hebrews,  and 
may  be  rendered  '  The  strong  God, 
Elohim  Jehovah'  which  is  nearly 
the  version  of  Luther,  '  Der  starke 
Gott,  der  Herr,'  the  strong  God,  the 
Lord.  q.  d.  '  that  almighty  and  om- 
niscient Jehovah,  whom  we  as  well 
as  you  acknowledge  and  adore  as 
the  God  of  gods,  intinitely  superior 
to  all  that  are  called  gods — to  him 
we  appeal  as  knowing  our  inno- 
ctncy,  and  that  we  would  shudder  at 
the  thought  of  forsaking  or  dividing 
his  worship.'  By  this  solemn  ap- 
peal they  would  convince  their  breth- 
ren that  their  religious  faith  was 
unchanged,  and  their  future  conduct, 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


159 


it  he  in  rebellion,  or  if  in  trans- 
gression against  the  Lord,  (save 
us  not  this  day,) 

23  That  we  have  built  us  an 
altar  to  turn  from  following  the 
Lord,  or  if  to  offer  thereon 
burnt-offering,  or  meat-offering, 
or  if  to  offer  peace-offerings 
thereon,  let  the  Lord  himself 
^require  it ; 

24  And  if  we  have  not  rather 
done  it  for   fear  of  this  thing, 

y  Deul.  18.  19.         1  Sam  20.  16. 

they  also  intimate,  should  satisfy  all 
Israel  that  with  clean  hands  and  an 
upright  heart  they  had  engaged  in 
this  undertaking.  Where  there  is 
evidence  of  a  deep  and  heart-felt  rev- 
erence for  God,  there  is  the  best  se- 
curity for  pure  intentions  and  a 
blameless  course  ofconduct.  IT  Save 
lis  not  this  day.  Let  God  the  Judge 
cause  us  to  perish  by  the  sword  of 
our  enemies  or  of  our  brethren,  if 
either  in  principle  or  practice  we 
have  knowingly  departed  from  him. 
It  is  a  sudden  apostrophe  to  God, 
prompted  by  strong  emotion  and  fre- 
quently occurring  in  speeches  of  a 
very  earnest  and  vehement  charac- 
ter, and  highly  expressive  of- con- 
scious integrity. 

23.  Let  the  Lord  himself  require  it. 
Requite  it.  Let  him  call  us  to  ac- 
count for  it  and  punish  us  as  the  of- 
fence may  deserve,  as  the  word  '  re- 
quire '  often  signifies.  See  on  Gen. 
9.  5.  Dcut.  18.  19.  1  Sam.  20.  16. 
The  trans- Jordanic  tribes  were  ac- 
cused of  erecting  an  altar  prohibited 
by  the  law,  and  that  with  the  design 
of  apostatising  from  the  true  religion. 
They  in  their  answer  imply  that  the 
law  is  not  violated  except  by  altars 
intended  for  sacrifice  ;  but  such  was 
not  theirs,  as  they  show  by  specify- 
ing the  three  principal  uses  of  the 
divinely  appointed  altar,  and  deny- 
ing that  they  contemplated  either  of 
these  uses  in  erecting  theirs. 

24.  For  fear  of  this  thing.  What 
ihis  thing  was  they  immediately  go 


saying,  In  time  to  come  your 
children  might  speak  unto  our 
children,  saying,  What  have  ye 
to  do  with  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel  ? 

25  For  the  Lord  hath  made 
Jordan  a  border  between  us  and 
you,  ye  children  of  Reuben  and 
children  of  Gad  ;  ye  have  no 
part  in  the  Lord.  So  shall  your 
children  make  our  children  cease 
from  fearin":  the  Lord. 


on  to  state.  They  were  apprehen- 
siv^e  of  certain  consequences  result- 
ing from  their  local  separation  from, 
their  brethren,  which  are  fully  de- 
tailed in  the  ensuing  verses.  The 
original  word  for  '  fear'  denotes  a 
great  perplexity  and  solicitude  of 
mind  bordering  upon  actual  distress. 
It  occurs  Prov.  12.  25,  where  it  sig- 
nifies affliction.  The  amount  of 
their  answer  is,  that  they  were  actu- 
ated by  motives  directly  the  reverse 
of  those  attributed  to  them.  IT  In 
time  to  come.  Pleb.  *  to-morrow.' 
See  note  on  ch.  4.  6. 

25.  So  shall  your  children  make 
our  children  cease  from  fearing  the 
Lord.  The  danger  to  which  they 
allude  was  not  immediate,  but  pros- 
pective. There  was  little  probabil- 
ity of  their  being  disowned  by  their 
brethren  of  the  present  generation, 
but  their  children  might  be  looked 
upon  in  after  ages  as  having  no  in- 
terest in  the  God  of  Israel,  or  his  in- 
stituted worship.  The  consequence 
would  be,  that,  being  cut  off  from 
public  ordinances,  the  life  and  pow- 
er of  religion  would  die  out  from 
among  them,  they  would  become 
reckless  of  their  duty  and  allegiance 
to  God,  wickedness  would  abound, 
and  they  would  sink  to  a  state  of 
comparative  heathenism.  This  was 
a  prospect  of  which  they  could  not 
endure  to  think.  It  was  a  state  of 
things  to  be  by  all  means  averted ; 
and  though  it  would  perhaps  have 
been  better  to  have  consulted  Joshua. 


160 


JOSHUA, 


[A.  C.  1444. 


26  Therefore  we  said,  Let  us 
now  prepare  to  build  us  an  altar, 
not  for  burnt-offering,  nor  for 
sacrifice  : 

27  But  that  it  may  le  ^a  wit- 
ness  between  us,  and  you,  and 
our  generations  after  us,  that  we 
might  ^dothe  service  of  the  Lord 
before  him  with  our  burnt-offer- 
ings, and  with  our  sacrifices,  and 
with  our  peace-offerings ;  that 
your  children  may  not  say  to  our 
children  in  time  to  come,  Ye 
liave  no  part  in  the  Lord. 

2S  Therefore  said  we,  that  it 
shall  be,  when  they  should  so 
say  to  us  or  to  our  generations 
in  time  to  come,  that  we  may 
say  again,  Behold  the  pattern  of 
the  altar  of  the  Lord,  which  our 
fathers  made,  not  for  burnt-offer- 


7.  Gen   31.  -IS.      ch   21.  -27. 
6,  11,  12,  17,  18,  2S,  27. 


or  rather  to  have  taken  counsel  of  the 
Lord,  respecting  this  measure  before 
they  carried  it  into  execution,  yet 
this  solicitude  for  the  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  their  posterity  cannot  be  too 
highly  praised.  Nothing  weighs 
more  deeply  on  the  truly  pious  heart, 
than  the  transmission  to  the  latest 
generations  of  those  inestimable  re- 
ligious privileges,  which  have  been 
the  comfort  and  blessing  of  their  fa- 
thers. If  the  outward  institutions  of 
piety  are  wanting  in  any  commun- 
ity, the  very  existence  of  piety  itself 
is  endangered,  and  where  that  is 
the  case,  the  judgments  instead  of 
the  mercies  of  heaven  will  descend, 
as  the  inheritance  of  posterity.  Yet, 
alas !  how  much  more  anxious  are 
thou.sands  to  entail  upon  their  de- 
scendants ample  worldly  possessions, 
even  at  the  hazard  of  all  their  better 
interests,  than  to  perpetuate  among 
them  those  invaluable  means  of 
grace  which  take  hold  on  eternal 
fife !  God  forbid  that  we  should 
ever  be  willing  that  our  children 


ings,  nor  for  sacrifices  ;  but  it  is 
a  witness  between  us  and  yc-u. 

29  God  forbid  that  we  should 
rebel  against  the  Lord,  and  turn 
this  day  from  following  the 
Lord,  'to  build  an  altar  for 
burnt-offerings  for  meat-offer- 
ings, or  for  sacrifices,  besides 
the  altar  of  the  Lord  our  God 
that  is  before  his  tabernacle. 

30  ^  And  when  Phinehas  the 
priest,  and  the  princes  of  the 
congregation,  and  heads  of  the 
thousands  of  Israel  which  were 
with  him,  heard  the  words  that 
the  children  of  Reuben,  and  the 
children  of  Gad,  and  the  child- 
ren of  Manasseh  spake,  it  pleas- 
ed them. 

31  And  Phinehas  the  son  of 
Eleazar  the  priest  said  unto  the 


b  Deuu  12.  13,  11. 


should  dwell  in  splendid  mansions, 
or  revel  in  accumulated  riches,  on 
which  '  Ichabod'  is  written! 

27.  That  it  may  be  a  udtness.  An 
indelible  monument  and  assurance 
that  we  are  as  truly  the  Lord's  people 
as  yourselves,  and  entitled  to  share 
unto  perpetuity  in  the  same  distin- 
guishing services  and  privileges. 

28.  Say  to  us,  or  to  our  generations 
ill  time  to  come.  Rather  according 
to  the  well-known  Heb.  idiom,  '  say 
to  u.s,,even  to  our  generations.'  It  is 
evident  that  their  fears  concerned 
their  offspring,  and  not  themselves. 
IF  That  we  viay  say  again.  That  is, 
that  our  posterity,  who  shall  be  then 
living,  may  say"  See  on  ch.  4.  23. 
IT  Behold  ihe  pattern.  Rather  the 
copy ;  the  exact  representation  and 
resemblance.  This  they  would  have 
regarded  as  a  sign,  a  memorial,  that 
they  both  acknowledged  and  served 
the  same  God,  and  both  made  use  of 
one  and  the  same  altar. 

31.  This  day  we  perceive  that  the 
Lord  is  among  us.    Rendered  in  the 


A.  C.  1144.] 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


161 


children  of  Reuben,  and  to  the 
children  of  Gad  and  to  the  child- 
ren  of  Manasseh,  This  day  we 
perceive  that  the  Lord  is  -^among 
us,  because  ye  have  not  commit- 
ted this  trespass  a<iainst  the 
Lord  :  now  ye  have  delivered 
the  children  of  Israel  out  of  the 
hand  of  the  Lord. 

32  ^  And  Phinehas  son  of  Ele- 
azar  the  priest,  and  the  princes, 
returned  from  the  children  of 
Reuben,  and  from  the  children 

c  Lev.  26.  U,  12.        2Chr.  15.  2. 


Targum  of  Jonathan,  '  This  day 
we  know  that  the  majesty  of  the 
Lord  dwelleth  among  us,  because  ye 
have  not  committed  this  prevarica- 
tion against  the  Word  of  the  Lord, 
and  thus  ye  have  delivered  the  child- 
ren of  Israel  from  the  hand  of  the 
Word  of  the  Lord.'  The  sense  un- 
doubtedly is,  that  the  happy  issue  of 
the  affair  proved  conclusively  that 
God  was  among  them  by  his  prevent- 
ing goodness.  Had  their  motives 
been  less  pure  and  conscientious 
than  they  were,  the  result  would 
have  been  unquestionably  far  more 
disastrous.  But  as  all  unhappy  con- 
sequences had  been  avoided,  the  in- 
ference was  inevitable  that  God  was 
that  day  in  the  midst  of  them,  that 
he  had  approved  the  spirit  and  mo- 
tives in  which  the  step  originated, 
and,  accordingly,  would  not  suffer 
a  well  meant  design  to  be  productive 
of  the  injurious  and  mounrful  effects 
which  they  at  one  time  apprehended. 
The  obvious  lesson  taught  by  the 
passage  is,  that  pure  and  pious  mo- 
tives in  our  conduct  secure  the  pre- 
sence of  God  with  us,  and  conse- 
quently an  exemption  from  the  evils 
and  disasters  that  would  be  sure  to 
follow  a  contrary  course.  '  When  a 
man's  ways  please  the  Lord,  even 
his  enemies  shall  be  at  peace  with 
him.'  How  delightful  to  recognise 
the  hand  of  a  gracious  Providence 
overruling  the  most  untoward  events 


of  Gad,  out  of  the  land  of  Gi- 
lead,  unto  the  land  of  Canaan, 
to  the  children  of  Israel,  and 
brought  them  word  again. 

33  And  the  thing  pleased  the 
children  of  Israel  ;  and  the  child- 
ren of  Israel  ^'blessed  God,  and 
did  not  intend  to  go  up  against 
them  in  battle  to  destroy  the 
land  wherein  the  children  of 
Reuben  and  Gad  dwelt. 

34  And  the  children  of  Reu- 
ben and  the    children    of   Gad 

d  1  Chr.  29.  20.    Neh.  8.  6.     Dan.  2   19.     Luke  2. 


and  brightening  the  darkest  pro- 
spects, in  reference  to  his  humble 
servants,  who  are  aiming  to  walk  in 
his  fear!  How  desirable  to  afford 
to  others  the  evidence  that  God  is 
with  us,  and  smiling  upon  us  by  the 
happy  and  prosperous  results  of  all 
our  undertakings  !  IT  Yc  have  de- 
livered the  children  of  Israel  o^U  of  the 
hand  of  the  Lord.  As  it  is  a  sinful 
and  perverse  deportment  that  deliv- 
ers us  into  the  hand  of  God  for  pim- 
ishment,  so  it  is  only  repentance, 
and  a  corresponding  humble  and 
conscientious  walk  that  will  deliver 
us  out  of  his  hand.  The  effect  of  our 
example  on  the  public  welfare  should 
operate  at  once  to  deter  us  from 
transgression,  and  engage  us  in  the 
practice  of  every  moral  virtue. 

32.  Brought  them  word  again. 
Made  a  full  and  faithful  report  of  the 
whole  transaction  upon  their  return 
to  their  brethren. 

33.  Did  not  intend  to  go  up.  Heb. 
'  said  not  to  go  up,'  So  2  Sam.  2L 
16,  '  And  Ishbi-benob— -thought  to 
have  slain  David;'  Heb.  'said  to 
have  slain ;'  i.  e.  purposed,  intend- 
ed. They  renotmced  the  intention 
of  going  up.  They  had  at  iirst  in- 
tended it,  but  the  statements  of  their 
delegates  convinced  them  there  was 
no  necessity  for  it,  and  they  accord- 
ingly abandoned  the  idea  entirely. 
IT  To  destroy  the  land.  To  lay  waste , 
to  ravage,  to  make  desolate  the  land. 


162 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1427. 


called  the  altar  Ed  :  for  it  shall 
be  a  witness  between  us  that  the 
Lord  is  God. 


CHAPTER  XXIH. 

A  ND  it  came  to  pass  a  long 

-^time  after    that    the    Lord 

''had  given  rest  unto  Israel  from 

all  their  enemies   round    about 


ch.  21.  44.    &  i-2.  4. 


34.  Called  the  altar  Ed.  It  is  re- 
markable that  the  last  word  in  this 
clause, '  Ed,'  a  witness,  is  not  found  in 
the  original,  at  least  in  the  common 
copies,  though  others  are  said  to 
contain  it,  and  it  occurs  in  the  Ara- 
bic and  Syriac  versions.  Our  trans- 
lators have  properly  supplied  it  in 
Italics,  as  it  is  the  word  which  the 
sense  evidently  requires.  How  it 
comes  to  be  lacking  in  the  common 
editions  of  the  Heb.  it  is  impossible 
to  determine.  This  altar,  upon  which 
there  was  probably  an  inscription, 
was  henceforth  to  be  a  witness  of 
the  relation  in  which  they  stood  to 
God  and  to  Israel,  and  of  their  con- 
currence with  the  rest  of  ihe  tribes 
in  the  great  fundamental  truth,  that 
'  the  Lord  he  is  God,'  he  and  no  other, 
and  that  he  was  to  be  w^orshipped 
in  no  other  way,  and  at  no  other 
place,  than  he  had  himself  prescrib- 
ed. It  was,  moreover,  a  witness  to 
posterity  of  their  care  to  transmit 
their  religion  pure  and  unimpaired 
to  them,  and  would  be  a  witness 
against  them,  if  ever  they  should 
forsake  God  and  turn  to  idolatry. 
— From  the  incidents  above  related 
we  may  gather,  (1.)  That  the  best 
meant  things  may  afford  cause  of 
suspicion.  As  those  are  sometimes 
su.spected  of  aiming  to  effect  a  breach 
in  the  unity  of  the  church,  who  are 
most  diligently  laboring  to  heal  her 
divisions,  and  to  preserve  to  poster- 
ity the  purity  of  her  doctrines  and 
worship.  (2.)  It  can  do  our  breth- 
ren no  injury  to  be  jealous  over  them 
with  a  godly  jealou.-fly,  even  when 
we  may  be  mistaken  {n  our  fears. 
(3.)  Nothing  will  so  soon  kindle  the 


that    Joshua    '^  waxed    old    and 
stricken  in  age. 

2  And  Joshua  '^called  for  all 
Israel,  and  for  their  elders,  and 
for  their  heads,  and  for  their 
judges,  and  for  their  officers, 
and  said  unto  them  I  am  old  and 
stricken  in  age  : 

3  And  ye  have  seen  all  that 

b  ch.  13.  1.     c  Dent.  31.  28.    ch.  24.  1.   I  Chr.  28.  \. 


zeal  of  a  faithful  and  devoted  spirit, 
as  the  symptoms  of  apostacy  from 
God  in  others,  because  to  such  an 
one  nothing  is  so  dear  as  his  glory. 
(4.)  Rising  corruptions  and  danger- 
ous errors  should,  in  the  spirit  of 
meekness,  be  resisted  as  soon  as 
broached,  lest  the  evil  leaven,  being 
permitted  to  spread,  should  leaven 
the  whole  mass.  (5.)  The  testi- 
mony of  a  good  conscience  is  the 
most  effectual  support  against  the 
heaviest  accusations. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

1.  A  long  time  after,  &c.  This  is 
supposed  to  have  been  m  the  last  or 
one  hundred  and  tenth  year  of  Josh- 
ua's life,  about  thirteen  or  fourteen 
years  after  the  conquest  of  Canaan, 
and  seven  after  the  division  of  the 
land  among  the  tribes.  II  Old  and 
stricken  in  years.  Heb.  '  old  and 
come,  or  gone,  into  days,' 

2.  Called  for  all  Israel,  and  for 
their  elders,  &c.  Or,  Heb.  'called 
for  all  Israel,  even  for  their  elders,' 
&c.  clearly  indicating  that  by  '  all 
Israel,'  is  not  meant  the  whole  body 
of  the  nation  assembled  in  their  own 
persons,  but  their  elders,  heads, 
judges,  &c.,  convened  and  acting 
representatively  in  the  name  of  the 
people.  They  could  easily  commu- 
nicate the  substance  of  the  charge 
in  their  several  districts,  so  that  all 
Israel  could  hear.  This  appears  to 
have  been  the  usual  method  of  con- 
ducting the  great  and  important  af- 
fairs of  the  nation.  See  on  Num. 
16.  1,  Whether  this  assembly  was 
held  at  Timnath-serah,  where  Josh- 
ua dwelt,  or  at  Shiloh,  where  the 


A.  C.  1427.] 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


163 


the  Lord  your  God  hath  done 
unto  all  these  nations  because 
of  you  ;  for  the  ''Lord  your  God 
is  he  that  hath  fought  for  you. 

4  Behold,  *I  have  divided  un- 
to you  by  lot  these  nations  that 
remain,  to  be  an  inheritance  for 
your  tribes,  from  Jordan,  with 
all  the  nations  that  I  have  cut 
off,  even  unto  the  great  sea  west- 
ward. 

5  And  the  Lord  your  God, 


d  Ex.  14.  14.     ch.  10.  14,  42. 
10. 


:ch.  13.  2,6.  &  18. 


ark  was,  it  is  not  possible  to  deter" 
mine.  From  the  solemn  object  of 
the  meeting  we  should  infer  that  the 
latter  was  the  place. 

3.  Ye  have  seen,  &c.  Joshua  here 
speaks  with  characteristic  modesty 
and  humility.  The  scope  of  his  ad- 
dress is  to  engage  the  covenant 
people,  and  their  seed  after  them,  to 
persevere  in  uphnlding'the  true  faith 
and  worship  of  the  God  of  Israel. 
In  order  to  this,  he  begins  by  putting 
them  in  mind  of  the  divine  interpo- 
sitions in  their  behalf.  He  appeals 
to  what  their  own  eyes  had  seen,  but 
so  as  at  once  to  abase  himself  and 
exalt  the  Most  High.  He  does  not 
say,  '  Ye  have  seen  what  I  have 
done,  or  what  you  have  done,  but 
what  God  himself  has  done.'  They 
were  mere  instruments  in  his  hand. 
It  was  no  doubt  natural  for  the  Is- 
raelites to  look  upon  their  veteran 
general,  who  had  led  them  on  from 
conquest  to  conquest,  with  the  most 
profound  respect,  and  to  say,  '  Had 
we  not  had  such  a  commander,  we 
had  never  succeeded  so  remarkably 
in  obtaining  possession  of  this  good- 
ly land.'  But  Joshua  will  leave 
them  no  ground  for  such  reflections. 
He  will  not  divide  the  glory  of  their 
success  with  God.  He  shows  them 
that  their  enemies  had  been  defeated, 
not  by  his  prowess  or  theirs,  but  sole- 
ly because  the  Lord  their  God  had 
fought  for  them.     The  battle  was 


fhe  shall  expel  them  from  before 
you,  and  drive  them  from  out  of 
your  sight ;  and  ye  shall  possess 
their  land,  eas  the  Lord  your 
God  hath  promised  unto  you. 

6  ''Be  ye  therefore  very  cour- 
ageous to  keep  and  to  do  all 
that  is  written  in  the  book  of  the 
law  of  Moses,  'that  ye  turn  not 
aside  there-from  to  the  right 
hand  or  to  the  left  ; 

7  That  ye  ''come  not  among 

f  Ex  23.  30.  &  33.  2.  &  34.  U.  Deut.  11.  23.  ch. 
13.  6.        g  Num.  33.  53.  h  ch    1.  7.        i  Dent.  5. 

32,  &  23.  14.  k  Ex.  23.  33.  Deul.  7.  2,  3.  Prov. 
4.  14.     Kph.  5.  II. 

the  Lord's,  and  not  his,  and  He  was 
entitled  to  all  the  glory.  This  sen- 
timent is  strikingly  reiterated  by  the 
Psalmist,  Ps.  44,  3,  'For  they  got 
not  the  land  in  possession  by  their 
own  sword,  neither  did  their  own 
arm  save  them ;  but  thy  right  hand, 
and  thine  arm,  and  the  light  of  thy 
countenance,  because  thou  hadst  a 
favor  unto  them.'  The  leader  of 
Israel,  in  these  words,  speaks  the 
language  of  every  pious  heart,  in 
view  of  every  species  of  worldly  suc- 
cess and  prosperity. 

4.  /  Jiave  divided  unto  you  by  lot. 
Heb.  '  I  have  caused  it  to  fall  unto 
you.'  IT  Those  nations  that  remain. 
"That  remain  yet  unconquered; 
where  '  nations'  stands  for  the  land, 
or  country  which  they  occupied ;  as 
on  the  contrary,  '  land'  often  stands 
for 'nation' or  'people.'  Remnants 
of  the  devoted  Caananites  still  lin- 
gered about  the  country,  though  their 
armies  had  long  since  been  broken 
to  pieces,  and  they  were  disabled 
from  making  any  effectual  head 
against  Israel. 

5.  And  drive  them — out — and  ye 
shall  possess.  The  same  Heb.  word, 
-ja^-n  yarash,  is  here  used  to  signify, 
to  expel  from  an  inheritance,  and  to 
succeed  those  thus  expelled.  Ye 
shall  disinherit  them  from  before 
you,  and  ye  shall  inherit  the  land  in 
their  stead. 

6.  Be  ye  therefore  very  courageous 


164 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1427. 


thesG  nations,  these  that  remain 


among  you  ;  neither  'make  men-    your  God,  as  ye  have  done  unto 


tion  of  the  name  of  their  gods, 
nor  cause  to  swear  hy  them, 
neither  serve  them,  nor  bow 
yourselves  unto  them  : 

I  F.x.  25.  U.       Ps.  15.  4.      Jer.  5  7.       Zeph.  1.  5 
See  Num    32  38. 


to  keep  and  to  do.     See  observations 
on  ch.  1.  7—9. 

7.  That  ye  come  not  avtoiig  these 
nations.  Thatye  have  no  familiar  in- 
tercourse, nor  form  intimate  connect- 
ions with  them ;  which  could  not  be 
done  without  contracting  some 
measure  of  the  defilement  which 
their  idolatries  and  iniquities  had 
brought  upon  them.  '  Evil  commu- 
nications corrupt  good  manners.' 
The  prohibition,  as  appears  from  v. 
12,  is  pointed  especially  at  intermar- 
riages with  their  heathen  neighbors. 
If  Neither  make  mention  of  the  name 
of  their  gods.  Or,  Heb. '  cause  to  be 
remembered.'  Instead  of  showing 
the  least  respect  to  their  idols,  they 
were  to  endeavor,  on  the  contrary,  to 
bury  the  remembrance  of  them  in 
perpetual  oblivion  ;  let  their  very 
names  be  forgotten.  So  David  says 
of  false  gods,  Ps.  16.  4,  'Their 
names  will  I  not  take  up  into  my 
lips.'  On  the  same  principle,  God 
says,  Hos.  2.  16,  17,  '  At  that  day 
thou  shalt  call  me  Ishi ;  and  shall 
call  me  no  more  Baali.  For  I  will 
take  away  the  names  of  Baalim 
out  of  her  mouth,  and  they  shall  no 
more  be  remembered  by  their  name.' 
Though  Baali  and  Ishi  signify  the 
same  thing,  yet  as  the  former  was 
the  appropriated  name  of  idols,  he 
would  have  it  no  longer  employed, 
even  in  reference  to  himself.  The 
habitual  mention  of  the  names  of 
idols  would  go  gradually  to  diminish 
the  abhorrence  in  Avhich  they  were 
bound  to  hold  them,  and  eventually 
to  introduce  the  custom  of  swearing 
by  them  in  common  discourse.  This 
would  infallibly  tend  to  the  general 
prevalence,  if  not  to  the  formal  es- 
tablishment, of  idolatrous  practices 


8  But  ""cleave  unto  the  Lord 


this  day. 

9  "For  the  Lord  hath  driven 
out  from  before  you  great  na- 
tions and  strong  :    but    as  for 

(l    13.  4.        ch.  22.  5. 


m  Dent   10.  20.     &     11    22 
Deut.  a.  -3. 


among  them.  In  like  manner  it  may 
be  seriously  questioned,  whether  the 
paintings,  statues,  and  poems,  which 
abound  in  Christian  countries,  re- 
plete with  allusions  to  the  detestable 
heathen  mythology,  have  not  a  most 
pernicious  effect  in  lessening  a  just 
abhorrence  of  the  Greek  and  Roman 
idolatry,  and  thus  subserving  the 
cause  of  scepticism,  infidelity,  and 
vice.  H  Nor  cause  to  sioear  by  them. 
To  swear  by  any  god  was  virtually 
to  acknowledge  him  as  a  witness 
and  avenger  in  the  case  of  the  viola- 
tion of  contracts,  and  so  in  effect  a 
suitable  object  of  religious  worship. 
It  is  implied  that  they  were  not  to 
make  any  covenants  with  idolaters, 
because  in  confirming  their  coven- 
ants they  would  swear  by  their 
idols.  ^  Let  no  Israelite  be  a  party 
to  any  transaction  which  should  in- 
volve such  a  consequence.  Neither 
swear  by  them  yourselves,  nor  cause 
others  by  your  procurement  to  do  it.' 
By  neglecting  these  slighter  occa- 
sions of  idolatry  they  might  be  im- 
perceptibly betrayed  into  it,  and  led 
along  by  degrees,  till  they  had  final- 
ly reached  its  highest  step,  which 
was  serving  false  gods,  and  bowing 
down  to  them,  in  direct  transgres- 
,sion  of  the  letter  of  the  second  com- 
mandment. 

8.  Cleave  unto  the  Lord  your  God, 
&c.  Delight  in  him,  depend  upon 
him,  devote  yourselves  to  his  glory, 
and  continue  to  do  so  unto  the  end, 
as  )'0U  have  done  unto  this  day ; 
ever  since  arriving  in  Canaan.  For 
since  that  time,  though  there  might 
have  been  many  things  more  or  less 
amiss  among  them,  yet  the  nation  at 
large  had  behaved  much  better  than 
they  did  in  the  wilderness,  and  had 


A.  C.  1427.] 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


165 


you,  °no  man  hatli  been  able  to 
static!  before  you  unto  this  day. 

10  pQiie  man  of  you  shall 
chase  a  thousand  :  for  the  Lord 
your  God,  ho  //.  is  that  (ighteth 
for  you,  -^as  he  hath  promised 
you. 

11  '"Take  good  heed  there- 
fore unto  yourselves,  that  ye 
love  the  Lord  your  God. 

12  Else  if  ye  do  in  any  wise 
'go   back,  and  cleave  unto  the 

och.  I.  5       p  Lev.  56.  S.     Deul,  3i-  30     St-e  Jnds. 
3.  ol.    .    15   15.    2Sani.  23.  S.  q  Ex.  11.  'i.  ■*   -3 

•27  Deui  3.  ^i-  rcii.  :.2  5.  s  lieu.  IJ  :^8  3J. 
2  Pet.  2.  -M,  U\. 

not  been  guilty  of  any  open  or  gross 
apostacy  from  God,  but  had  followed 
him  with  exemplary  fidelity. 

9.  Par  the  Lord  hath  driven  out. 
Or,  as  the  origiaal  will  admit  of  be- 
ing rendered,  '  and  the  Lord  will 
drive  out,'  &c.,  and  so  the  whole 
verse  may  be  rendered  in  the  future 
instead  of  the  past,  in  which  case  it 
will  connect  more  easily  and  natu- 
rally with  the  verse  ensuing.  TI  No 
mati  hath  been  abU  to  stand  before 
you.  That  is,  when  it  actually  came 
to  an  issue.  Some  of  the  ancient  in- 
habitants did  indeed  yet  remain  un- 
conquered,  bat  in  every  engagement 
the  Israelites  came  off  victorious. 
In  this  sense  no  man  had  been  able 
to  stand  before  them.  Wherever  an 
enemy  had  been  encountered  he  had 
been  overcome. 

11.  Take  i!;ood  heed  therefore  unto 
yo-urr^lccs.  Intimating  the  condition 
on  which  the  foregoing  promise 
should  be  made  good  to  them.  Let 
not  the  assurance  of  the  divine  fa- 
vor, presence,  and  protection  tend  to 
relax  your  diligence,  or  weaken  the 
sense  of  obligation  to  love  and  serve 
liim  ;  on  the  contrary,  let  it  operate 
as  an  additional  motive  to  the  most 
intense  affection  and  devotedness 
towards  your  heavenly  benefactor. 
As  the  temptations  arising  from  the 
presence  of  your  corrupt  neighbors, 
and  your  own  peace  and  prosperity, 
are  greater  than  they  were  in  the 
15 


remnant  of  these  nations,  even 
these  that  remain  among  you, 
and  shall  ^make  marriages  with 
them,  and  go  in  unto  them,  and 
they  to  you  : 

13  Know  for  a  certainty  tliat 
"the  Lord  your  God  will  no 
more  drive  out  any  0/ th.ese  na- 
tions from  before  you  :  ^but  they 
sliall  be  snares  and  traps  unto 
you,  and  scourges  in  your  sides, 
and  tiiorns  in  your  eyes  untd  ye' 


I  n.„t.  7.  3.      '■  Jvi  c-  '■ 
S3  00.     JJcui.  7.  16.     1  lii; 


wilderness,  it  will  require  greater 
watcltfulness  and  diligence  to  keep 
yourselves  continually  approved  in 
the  sight  of  heaven, 

13.  Knmo  for  a  certainty.  Heb. 
'knowing  thou  shall  know.'  ^ 
They  shall  be  snares  and  traps  unto 
you.  You  will  be  caught  by  their 
wiles ;  their  baits  and  allurements 
will  seduce  you  into  crime,  into  a 
participation  of  their  vile  impieties  j 
and  as  a  consequence  of  this,  taking 
advantage  of  your  weakness,  they 
will  vex  and  harrass,  torment  and 
oppress  you,  and  as  willing  though 
unconscious  instruments  in  the 
hand  of  a  chastising  providence,  will 
be  as  continual  goads,  spurs,  or 
scourges  in  your  sides,  or  as  annoy- 
ing thorns  in  your  eyes.  They  will 
kill  or  drive  away  your  cattle,  burn 
or  steal  your  harvests,  lay  waste  your 
vineyards,  alarm  or  plunder  your 
houses,  and  in  a  thousand  ways  be  a 
perpetual  source  of  trouble.  Nay, 
so  completely  shall  they  at  length  ob- 
tain the  ascendancy,  that  your  re- 
spective conditions  shall  be  reversed"; 
instead  of  exterminating  them  from 
the  bounds  of  Canaan,  you  shall 
yourselves  fall  before  them,  or  be  ut- 
terly driven  from  your  inheritance, 
from  the '  good  land '  which  the  Lord 
himself  hath  given.  What  could 
tend  more  powerfully  to  arm  their 
spirits  against  the  forbidden  allian- 
ces than  the  prospect  of  such  calam- 


166 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1427. 


perish  from  off  this  good  land 
which  the  Lord  your  God  hath 
given  you. 

14  And  behold,  this  day  >I  am 
going  the  way  of  all  the  earth  ; 
and  ye  know  in  all  your  hearts 
and  in  all  your  souls,  that  'not 
one  thing  hath  failed  of  all  the 
good  things  which  the  Lord 
your  God  spake  concerning 
you ;  all  are  come  to  pass  unto 
you,  and  not  one  thing  hath 
failed  thereof 

15  ''Therefore  it  shall  come 
to  pass,  that  as  all  good  things 
are  come  upon  you,  which  the 

y  I  Kill.  2.  2.    See  He'...  9.  27.      i  ch.  21.  45.     I.uke 
2l.  c3         a  Deut.  28.  63. 


Lord  your  God  promised  you  ; 
so  shall  the  Lord  bring  upon 
you  '^all  evil  things,  until  he 
have  destroyed  you  from  off  this 
good  land  which  the  Loud  your 
God  hiith  given  you. 

16  When  ye  have  transgress- 
ed  the  covenant  of  the  Lord 
your  God,  which  he  commanded 
you,  and  have  gone  and  served 
other  gods;  and  bowed  your- 
selves to  them  ;  then  shall  the 
anger  of  the  Lord  be  kindled 
against  you,  and  ye  shall  perish 
quickly  from  off  the  good  land 
which  he  halh  given  unto  you. 


.25.16.     Deut. '-8.  13,  15,  iv 


ities  as  these  1  IT  Scourges  in  you  r 
sides  and  thorns  in  your  eyes. 
'  What !'  says  a  wife  to  her  angry 
husband,  '  am  I  a  thorn  in  your 
eyes  V  '  Alas  !  alas  !  he  has  seen 
another ;  I  am  now  a  thorn  in  his 
eyes.'  '  Were  I  not  a  thorn  in  his 
eyes,  his  anger  would  not  burn  so 
long!'  '  My  old  friend  Taraban 
never  looks  at  my  house  now,  be- 
cause it  gives  him  thorns  to  his  eyes.' 
Roberts. 

14.  Going  the  way  of  all  the  earth. 
About  to  die,  to  go  inio  the  grave. 
To  die  is  in  a  sense  to  go  a  journey, 
a  journey  to  our  long  home ;  it  is  the 
way  of  all  the  earth,  the  way  that 
all  mankind  must  go  sooner  of  later. 
Joshua  felt  himself  near  his  end,  and  ] 
he  would  have  his  people  look  upon  j 
him  and  listen  to  him  as  a  dying  man. 
that  so  his  words  might  sink  the 
deeper  into  their  hearts.  He  would 
spend  his  last  breath  in  taking  them 
to  witness  that  God  had  been  punc- 
tiliously faithful  to  every  promise, 
and  in  solemnly  assuring  them  that 
every  threatening,  however  fearful, 
would  receive  an  equally  certain 
and  exact  accomplishment.  IT  Yc 
know — that  not  one  thing  kath  failed, 
&c.  The  same  appeal  which  is 
here  made  by  Joshua  to  Israel  after 


sixty  years'  experience,  maybe  made 
to  every  believer  that  ever  lived. 
We  may  bring  forth  every  promise 
from  the  Bible,  and  then  search  the 
annals  of  the  world,  and  inquire  of 
every  creature  in  it,  and  one  single 
instance  will  be  sought  in  vain  of 
God's  violating  or  forgetting  a  prom- 
ise. The  accomplishment  may  have 
been  delayed  or  brought  to  pass  in  a 
way  that  was  not  expected,  but  the 
whole  Avorld  may  be  challenged  to 
impeach  his  veracity,  or  contradict 
the  assertion  that  '  all  which  he  hath 
promised  is  come  to  pass;  not  one 
thing  hath  failed  thereof.'  But  let  it 
not  be  forgotten  that  the  veracity  of 
God  is  as  much  pledged  for  the  ex- 
ecution of  his  threatenings,  as  for  the 
performance  of  his  promises.  The 
one  is  a  proof  of  the  other.  Yet 
among  the  world  of  the  impenitent 
where  is  there  a  mind  divested  of  the 
floating  impression,  that  mercy  will 
in  some  way  interpose  to  stay  the 
outgoings  of  wrath  1  How  many, 
alas  !  are  now  experiencing  in  hell 
what  they  would  not  believe  on 
earth !  The  subsequent  history  of  the 
chosen  people  abundantly  shows  that 
both  the  apostacy  here'  deprecated 
and  the  threatenings  here  denounced 
did  actually  take  place.     Let  then 


A.  C.  1427.] 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


167 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A  ND  Joshua  gatherd  all  the 

tribes  of  Israel  to  ^Shechem, 

and  "^^'called  for  the  elders  of  Is- 


every  Christian  fear  as  he  reads,  '  If 
God  spared  not  the  natural  branches, 
take  heed  lest  he  spare  not  thee.' 
The  -worldly,  carnal,  sensual  Chris- 
tian has  no  more  right  to  expect  in- 
dulgence from  the  justice  of  God  than 
the  disobedient  Jew. 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

1.  Gathered  all  the  tribes.  That  is, 
the  heads,  elders,  and  chief  men  of 
the  tribes,  though  not  them  exclu- 
sively. See  on  ch.  23.  2.  Joshua 
probably  found  his  life  prolonged  be- 
yond his  expectation,  and,  like  Pe- 
ter in  his  old  age,  thinking  it  meet 
'  as  long  as  he  was  in  this  tabernacle ' 
to  do  his  utmost  towards  'putting' 
and  keeping  his  people  '  in  remem- 
brance '  of  the  great  things  of  their 
duty,  embraces  one  more  opportu- 
nity of  convening  the  tribes  by  their 
representatives,  and  giving  them  a 
solemn  parting  charge,  The  pious 
servants  of  God  may  be  disabled 
through  age  and  infirmities  from 
continuing  their  personal  exertions, 
but  they  will  never  relax  their  zeal 
in  the  service  of  their  divine  Master ; 
and  what  they  v/ant  in  effiective  la- 
bors, they  will  endeavor  to  supply  by 
stimulating  and  confirming  the  zeal 
of  others.  As  Moses,  at  an  advanc- 
ed age,  renewed  the  covenant  in 
the  plains  of  Moab  which  had  been 
first  entered  into  at  Horeb  forty  years 
before,  so  Joshua  on  this  occasion 
imitates  his  example,  and  makes  it 
his  last  labor  to  engage  the  tribes  of 
Israel  once  more  to  give  themselves 
up  to  God  in  a  perpetual  covenant. 
Thus  the  good  effects  of  his  influ- 
ence would  remain  when  he  him- 
self was  taken  from  them.  '  We 
must  never  think  our  work  for  God 
done  till  our  life  is  done  ;  and  if  he 
lengthen  out  our  days  beyond  what 
we  thought,  we  mus"^D  conclude  it  is 
because  he  has  some  further  service 


rael,  and  for  their  beads  and  for 
their  judges,  and  for  their  offi- 
cers ;  and  they  ^presented  them- 
selves before  God. 

c  I  Sdin.  10.  19. 

for  us  to  do.'  Henry.  IT  To  She- 
chem.  As  it  is  immediately  added 
that,  '  they  presented  themselves  be- 
fore God,'  the  natural  inference 
would  be  that  this  transaction  took 
place  in  the  presence  of  the  ark  and 
the  tabernacle,  the  usual  meeting- 
place  of  God  and  his  people,  which 
were  now,  as  far  as  we  know,  at 
Shiloh  instead  of  Shechem.  This 
has  occasioned  some  difficulty  to 
commentators,  especially  as  the 
Greek  of  the  Sept.  has  SjjXw,  Shilo 
both  here  and  v.  25,  though  the  Al- 
dine  and  Comphetensian  editions 
have  Si)%£/',  Sijcheni  in  both  places, 
which  leads  us  to  suppose  that  the 
former  reading  is  a  designed  alter- 
ation made  with  a  view  to  obviate 
an  apprehended  discrepancy  in  the 
original.  At  any  rate,  there  is  no 
suificient  ground  for  questioning  the 
genuineness  of  the  present  Hebrew 
text.  The  two  following  solutions, 
therefore,  may  be  proposed ;  either, 
(1)  By  Shechem  here  is  meant  not 
the  city  so  called,  but  the  territory 
adjacent,  extending  to  the  distance 
of  several  miles,  within  the  limits 
of  which  it  is  conjectured  that  Shiloh 
stood.  But  this  is  less  likely,  as 
Shiloh  was  at  least  ten  miles  distant 
from  Shechem,  and  if  the  meeting 
had  been  at  Shiloh  we  can  see  no 
reason  why  it  should  not  have  been 
expressly  so  stated,  Or,  (2)  that 
Shechem  was  really  the  place  of  the 
convocation,  but  that  the  tabernacle 
was  for  the  present  occasion  trans- 
ferred thither,  as  we  learn  Judg.  20. 
1,  18.  1  Sam  4.  3.  2  Sam,  15. 24,  that 
it  was  sometimes  on  extraordinaiy 
emergencies  temporarily  removed. 
There  were  several  reasons  why 
Shechem  should  be  considered  the 
most  suitable  place  for  the  assem- 
bling of  the  tribes  on  this  occasion. 
It  was  a  Levitical  city,  and  nearer 
than  Shiloh  to  Timnath^serab,  Josh- 


169 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1427. 


2  And  Joshua  said  unlo  all 
the  people,  Thus  sailh  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel,  '^Your  fathers 
dwelt  on  the  other  side  of  the 


(I  Gen.  11.  26.  3'«. 


ua's  residence,  whose  age  and  infir- 
mities miglit  at  this  time  have  inca- 
pacitated him  from  travelling  even 
a  short  distance  from  home.  It  was 
the  place  where  the  covenant  was 
first  made  with  Abraham  ages  be- 
fore, Gen.  12.  6,  7,  and  so  would  be 
a  peculiarly  appropriate  place  for 
renewing  that  covenant,  which  was 
one  end  to  be  answered  i)y  their  now 
coming  together.  It  adds  to  the 
force  af  this  reason,  that  it  Avas  in 
this  immediate  vicinity,  between  the 
two  mounts  Gerizzim  and  Ebal,  that 
Joshua  had  before,  on  their  iirst  en- 
trance into  Canaan,  convened  the 
nation  for  a  similar  object,  eh.  8.  30 
—35.  So  that  all  the  associations 
connected  with  the  place  would  tend 
eminently  to  heighten  the  solemnity 
and  impressiveness  of  the  transac- 
tion, in  which  they  were  about  to 
engage.  If,  moreover,  as  from  v.  32 
many  suppose,  it  was  on  this  occa- 
sion that  the  bones  of  Joseph,  and 
perhaps  of  the  other  patriarchs.  Acts 
7.  15,  16,  were  deposited  in  the  piece 
of  ground  which  his  father  gave  him 
near  Shechem,  it  W'ould  constitute 
another  strong  reason  for  selecting 
this,  in  preference  to  Shilo,  as  the 
place  of  the  present  meeting.  That 
such  was  the  fact,  however,  what- 
ever might  have  been  the  reasons, 
and  whatever  the  imagined  dithcul- 
ties  involved  in  the  supposition ,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  as  long  as  we  ad- 
here to  the  letter  of  the  sacred  re- 
cord. H  Presented  themselves  be- 
fore God.  As  intimated  above,  the 
presumption  is  that  this  presentation 
of  themselves  was  before  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  and  the  tabernacle,  the 
visible  residence  of  God  among  his 
people,  and  now  removed  to  She- 
chem to  give  additional  solemnity  to 
the  proceedings  of  the  assembly. 
This  impression  is  confirmed  by  v. 
62,  where  it  is  said  that,  •  a  great  stone 


flood  in  old  time,  even  Terah, 
the  father  of  Abraham,  and  the 
father  of  Nachor  :  and  nhey 
served  other  gods, 


was  set  up  there  under  an  oak  that 
was  by  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord;' 
i.  e.  by  the  place  where  the  sanctu- 
ary temporarily  stood  during  the 
time  of  that  convention.  Yet  the 
words  do  not  necessarily  demand 
this  construction.  The  phrase  'be- 
fore God'  or  'before  the  Lord,'  is 
sometimes  equivalent  to  religiously, 
devoutly,  as  if  under  the  inspection 
of  the  divine  eye.  Thus  Isaac  Gen. 
27.  7,  is  said  to  have  blessed  Jacob, 
'before  the  Lord,'  i.  e.  as  in  his  pre- 
sence, in  his  name,  in  a  verj'  solemn 
and  devout  manner.  SoJephthahis 
said,  Judg.  11.  11,  to  have  uttered  all 
his  words  'before  the  Lord;'  in  the 
same  sense.     See  on  ch.  4.  13. 

2.  Joshua  said  unto  all  the  people. 
All  the  people  now  assembled,  con- 
sisting mainly  of  the  elders,  chiefs, 
&c.,  V.  1,  but  in  addition  to  them  of 
such  portions  of  the  bc^y  of  the  peo- 
ple as  found  it  convenient  to  attend. 
^  On  the  otlicr  side  of  the  flood.  That 
is,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  the 
river  Euphrates;  so  called  by  Avay 
of  eminence.  '  Flood '  is  an  unfor- 
tunate rendering,  as  the  original 
word  is  the  comm.on  word  for  '  river,' 
and  repeatedly  and  for  the  mo.st  part 
so  tran.slated  in  our  established  ver- 
sion. ^  In  old  time.  Heb.  '  from 
everlasting;'  i.  e.  from  an  indefinite 
period  of  remote  antiquity;  as  the 
same  term  often  signifies  an  indefi- 
nite period  of  time  future.  IT 
Served  other  gods.  Prom  this  it 
seems  clear  that  Abraham's  grand- 
father and  father,  and  perhaps  him- 
self in  the  first  instance,  worshipped 
the  idols  of  the  country  in  which 
they  lived.  By  this,  however,  we 
are  probably  not  to  understand  that 
they  had  no  knowledge  of,  or  rever- 
ence for,  the  true  God,  but  that  they 
did  not  render  to  him  that  exclusive 
worship  which  was  his  due.  In  fact, 
we  may  conclude  them  to  have  beeu 


A.  C.  1427.] 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


169 


3  And  '"I  took  your  father 
Abraham  from  the  other  side  of 
the  flood,  and  led  him  throughout 
all  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  mul- 
tiplied his  seed,  and  °gave  him 
Isaac. 

4  And  I  gave  unto  Isaac  '^Ja- 
cob and  Esau  :   and  I  gave  unto 

fGen.  12.  1.      Acts  7.  2,  3.        g  Gen.  21.  2,  3.     Ps. 
127.  3.        h  Gen.  25.  24,  25,  26. 

in  much  the  same  condition  as  La- 
ban,  who  at  a  subsequent  period  rep- 
resented that  part  of  the  family 
which  remained  beyond  the  Euphra- 
tes, and  who  certainly  reverenced  Je- 
hovah, but  who  also  had  idols  w^hich 
he  called  his  gods,  and  the  loss  of 
which  filled  him  with  vexation  and 
anger.  The  partial  idolatry  of  their 
ancestors,  however,  was  humiliating 
to  Israel.  Even  Abraham,  the  father 
of  their  nation,  in  whom  they  gloried, 
and  who  was  subsequently  so  highly 
honored  of  God,  was  born  and  bred 
up  in  the  worship  of  false  gods. 
This  fact  would  cut  off  all  vain- 
boasting  in  the  worthiest  of  their  an- 
cestors, as  far  as  native  character  or 
early  conduct  was  concerned.  The 
father  of  the  faithful  himself  became 
what  he  was  purely  by  the  grace  of 
God,  and  not  in  virtue  of  his  own 
innate  tendencies  to  good.  Indeed 
his  justification  is  expressly  set  forth 
by  the  apostle,  Rom.  4.  5,  as  an  in- 
stance of  God's  'justifying  the  un- 
godly.' 

3.  And  ItooJc  your  father  Abraham, 
&c.  I  exercised  such  an  influence 
iipon  him  as  induced  him  to  leave 
that  land  of  idolaters;  I  prompted 
him  to  go.  Though  no  violence 
was  employed,  it  implies  that  he 
would  never  have  gone  thence  un- 
less God  had  '  taken '  him,  unless  by 
a  divine  impulse  he  had  moved  him 
to  go.  See  on  Gen.  2.  15,  relative  to 
God's  'taking'  Adam  and  putting 
him  into  the  garden  of  Eden.  So 
it  is  the  special  grace  of  God  that 
'  takes '  a  sinner  out  of  a  state  of  im- 
penitence and  unbelief,  and  puts  him 
in  the  way  to  eternal  life,  the  road 
15* 


iEsau  mount  Seir,  to  possess  it : 
''but  Jacob  and  his  children  went 
down  into  Egypt. 

5  il  sent  iVIoses  also  and 
Aaron  and  ™I  plagued  Egypt, 
according  to  that  which  1  did 
among  them  :  and  afterward  I 
brought  you  out. 


iGe 
7.  15. 


3G.  8.      Deui.  2.  5.        k  Gen.  46.  I,  6       Acts 
1  Ex.  3.  10.       m  Ex.  7.  &  8.  &  9.  &  10.  &  12, 


to  the  heavenly  Canaan,  that  better 
country  where  lies  the  inheritance 
of  the  saints.  IT  Led  him  through- 
out all  the  land  of  Canaan.  Gave 
him  my  gracious  guidance  and  pro- 
tection during  all  his  wanderings 
to  and  fro  in  that  land  of  promise. 
IF  MuUKplied  his  seed,  and  gave  him 
Isaac.  That  is,  multiplied  his  seed 
brj  giving  him  Isaac.  As  this '  mul- 
tiplication,' however,  could  not  be 
said  to  be  accomplished  merely  by 
the  birth  of  a  single  son,  it  is  to  be 
understood,  not  of  Isaac  alone,  but 
of  the  long  and  spreading  line  of  his 
posterity,  among  whom  he  enume- 
rates Jacob  and  Esau,  including 
their  issue,  in  the  next  verse. 

4.  I  gave  u7ito  Esau  mo%tnt  Seir. 
See  on  Gen.  36.  7,  8.  In  order  that 
the  land  of  Canaan,  by  the  removal 
of  Esau,  might  be  reserved  entire  to 
Jacob  and  his  posterity.  11  But 
Jacob  and  his  children  went  down 
into  Egijpt.  Where  they  suffered 
a  long"  and  grievous  bondage,  the 
particulars  of  which  the  speaker 
does  not  deem  it  necessary  to  recite. 

5.  According  to  that  tvhich  I  did 
aviong  them.  Heb.  'which  I  did  in 
the  midst  of  him.'  A  peculiar 
phraseology,  and  not  capable  perhaps 
of  being  fully  reached  in  any  other 
language.  It  implies  the  essential 
reality  of  any  thing  compared  with 
the  outward  manifestation,  sign,  or 
expression  oiii.  Thus  it  is  said  of 
the  butler  and  baker  in  prison,  Gen. 
40.  5,  that  they  each  dreamed  a 
dream,  'according  to  the  interpreta- 
tion of  his  dream,'  i.  e,  one  of  which 
the  event  answered  to  the  dream  it- 
self ;  a  dream  capable  of  a  sound  in- 


170 


6  And  1  "brouojlit  your  fathers 
oat  of  Egypt :  and  °ye  cam-- 
unto  the  sea ;  Pand  the  Egyp- 
tians pursued  after  your  fathers 
witli  chariots  and  horsemen  un- 
to  the  Red  sea. 

7  And  when  they  'Jcried  unto 
the  LoKD,  -"he  put  darkness  be- 
tween you  and  the  Egyptians, 
'and  brought  the  sea  upon  them, 
and  covered  them  ;  and  tyour, 
eyes  have  seen, what  I  have  done 
in  Egypt  :  and  ye  dwelt  in  the 
M^ilderness  "a  long  season. 

8  And  I  brought  you  into  the 
land    of   the    Amorites,  which 


n  Ex.  12.  37,  51.  o  Ex.  14.  2.  p  F,x.  14.  9.  q  Kx 
U.  1  J.  r  Ex.  H.  20.  s  Ex.  14.  27,  28.  t  Deut. 
4.  34.  &  29.  2.        u  ch.  5.  6. 


JOSHUA.  [A.  C.  1427. 

dwelt  on  the  other  side  Jordan  ; 
'^and  they  fought  with  you  :  and 
I  gave  them  into  your  hand, 
that  ye  might  possess  their  land  ; 
and  I  destroyed  them  from  be- 
fore you. 

9  Then  ^Balak  the  son  of 
Zippor,  king  of  Moab,  arose  and 
warred  against  Israel,  and  ^sent 
and  called  Balaam  the  son  of 
Beor  to  curse  you  : 

10  ^But  I  would  not  hearken 
unto  Balaam ;  therefore  he  bless- 
ed you  still  :  so  I  delivered  you 
out  of  his  hand. 

11  And  ^ye  went  over  Jor- 

X  N.im.  21.  21,  C3.      Dent.  2.  32.  H  3    \.  y  See 

.'lulg.  U.  25.  z  N.im.  22.  5.  Deiit.  23.  4.  a  Devit. 
23  5.  b  Nnm  2;.  11,  20  &24.  10.  c  cli.  i.  14,  1^ 
&4.  10,  il   12. 


terpretation,  which  Joseph  gave,  and 
•which  the  actual  fulfilment  confirm- 
ed. So  here  the  plagues  of  Egypt 
corresponded  in  fact,  in  reality,  with 
all  that  had  been  predicted  of  them 
beforehand,  with  all  that  was  record- 
ed of  them  afterwards,  and  with  all 
that  struck  the  senses  at  the  time  of 
their  actual  occurrence.  There  was 
no  illusion abouilhem  in  any  manner 
or  degree.  It  was  all  reality.  IT 
Afterioard  I  brought  you  out.  Spo- 
ken of  the  present  generation,  though 
strictly  true  only  of  their  fathers. 
Of  the  usus  loquendi  here  involved, 
see  note  on  ch.  4.  23.  So  also  in  the 
ensuing  verses,  where  the  reader  will 
notice  that  the  words  your  fathers 
and  ye,  them  and  you,  are  remarka- 
bly interchanged. 

6.  Cavie  unto  the  sea.  The  Red 
Sea,  as  is  afterwards  expressed. 

7.  Brought  the  sea  upon  them — cov- 
ered them.  Heb.  '  brought  the  sea 
upon  him — covered  him.'  Spoken 
of,  according  to  usual  analogy,  as 
one  man.  IT  Dwelt  in  the  wilder- 
ness a  long  season.  A  mild  term  for 
their  being  condemned  to  wander 
for  forty  years  in  the  wilderness  as 
a  punishment  for  their  sins. 


9.  Then  Balak — arose  and  warred 
against  Israel.  From  the  previous 
history,  Num.  23  and  24,  and  also 
from  Judg.  11.  25,  it  would  appear 
that  Balak  did  not  at  any  time  actu- 
ally engage  in  conflict  with  Israel. 
He  is  said,  therefore,  in  this  place  to 
have  '  warred '  against  them  because 
he  intended  it,  because  he  cherished 
?i  hostile  purpose,  and  concerted  his 
schemes  and  made  his  preparations 
accordingly.  The  Scripture  idiom 
often  speaks  of  men  as  doing  what 
they  fully  design  and  endeavor  to 
do,  and  it  is  a  very  slight  stretch  of 
language  to  denominate  him  a  war- 
ring enemy  who  has  all  the  will  and 
lacks  only  the  opportunitv  to  become 
so.  See  Gen.  37.  21.  Ezek.  24.  13. 
Mat.  5.  28.  John,  10.  32,  33.  A  sim- 
ilar phraseology  occurs  in  V.  11  in 
reference  to  the  men  of  Jericho, 
which  is  perhaps  to  be  explained  on 
the  same  principle. 

10.  Iifould  not  hearken  unto  Ba- 
laam. Would  not  comply  with  his 
secret  wish  and  purpose,  nor  allow 
him  to  curse  to  you  ;  would  not  fall 
in  with  or  favor  the  ruling  desire  of 
his  heart.  U  Delivered  you  out  of 
his  hand.     Out  of  the  hand  of  Ba- 


A.  C.  1427.] 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


171 


dan,  and  came  unto  Jericho  :  and 
''the  men  of  Jericho  fought 
against  you,  the  Amorites,  and 
the  Perizzites,  and  the  Canaan- 
ites,  and  the  Hittites,  and  the 
Girgashites,  the  Hivites,  and  the 
Jebusites,  and  I  delivered  them 
into  your  liand. 

12  And  *I  sent  the  hornet  be- 
fore you,  which  drave  them  out 
from  before    you,   even  the  two 


d  -Ij.  6.  1.  &10.  1.  &11.  I. 
7.20. 


e  Ex.  23.  23.      Deul 


lak.  and  all  the  wicked  machina- 
tions which  he  had  set  on  foot 
against  you. 

11.  TAe  men  of  Jericho  fought 
against  you.  Heb.  '  the  masters  or 
lords  of  Jericho.'  This  is  under- 
stood by  many  expositors  of  the  ru- 
lers or  magistrates  of  Jericho,  but  as 
the  ensuing  words,  '  the  Amorites, 
the  Perizzites,  &c.,'  seem  to  stand 
in  immediate  apposition  with  '  men ' 
or  masters,  we  lake  it  that  theij  are 
meant  by  the  term,  and  are  called 
'masters'  of  Jericho  from  the  fact 
that  that  city  belonged  to  an  exten- 
sive confederacy  composed  of  the 
various  neighboring  nations  here 
specified,  of  whom  it  is  obviously 
true  that  they  '  fought'  against  Is- 
rael, and  were  signally  delivered 
into  their  hand.  If,  however,  the 
phrase  be  understood  of  the  citizens 
or  chief  men  of  the  city  of  Jericho, 
though  they  did  not  actually  meet 
Israel  in  the  field,  yet  they  may  be 
said  to  have  fought  against  them  in- 
asmuch as  they  stood  upon  the  defen- 
sive and  opposed  them  by  shutting 
their  gates,  and  probably  in  making 
what  resistance  they  could  after  an 
entrance  had  been  gained  into  the 
city.     See  on  v.  9. 

12.  /  se7it  the  hornet  before  you. 
Understood  by  some  literally  of  the 
insect  so-called,  by  others  figurative- 
ly of  the  anxieties,  perplexities,  and 
pungent  terrors  which  invaded  the 
minds  of  the  Canaanites  on  the  re- 
ported approach  of  the  hosts  of  Is- 


kings  of  the  Amorites  :  hut  '"not 
with  thy  sword,  nor  with  thy 
bow  : 

13  And  I  have  given  you  a 
land  for  which  ye  did  not  labour, 
and  =citics  which  ye  built  not 
and  ye  dwell  in  them  ;  o^"  the 
vineyards  and  olive-yards  which 
ye  planted  not  do  ye  eat. 

14  H  ''Now  therefore  fear  the 
Lhbu,  and  serve  him  in  isincer- 

fPs.41.3  6.  g  Oeut.  6.  10,  U.  c!i.  11.  13.  h  Deut. 
10.  n.  1  S.-^m.  1-2.  21.  iOe.  .  17.  1.  &  20  5.  Deut. 
IS.  13.     Ps.  119.  1.     2  Cor.  1    12.    Kph.  6.  2-!. 

rael.  For  further  remarks  on  the 
subject,  see  on  Ex.  23.  28  and  '  Illus- 
trations of  the  Scriptures,'  p.  66. 
The  writer  of  the  apocryphal  book 
entitled  '  The  Wisdom  of  Solomon' 
seems  to  have  taken  the  words  as  lit- 
erally true.  ch.  12.  8 — 10,  'Never- 
theless thou  didst  send  wasps,  fore- 
runners of  thine  host,  to  destroy  them 
by  little  and  little.  Not  that  thou 
wast  unable  to  bring  the  ungodly 
under  the  hand  of  the  righteous  in 
battle,  or  to  destroy  them  at  once 
with  cruel  beasts,  or  with  one  rough 
word  :  But  executing  thy  judgments 
by  little  and  little  thou  gavest  them 
place  of  repentance,  not  being  igno- 
rant that  they  were  a  naughty  gene- 
ration, and  that  their  malice  was 
bred  in  them,  and  that  their  cogita- 
tion would  never  be  changed.'  H 
JSot  with  thy  sword,  nor  with  thy  hoic. 
Not  that  these  implements  were  not 
made  use  of  in  their  wars,  but  that 
they  would  have  used  them  in  vain 
unless  God,  by  his  secret  or  open 
judgments,  had  previously  smitten 
and  paralysed  the  power  of  the  en- 
emy. See  the  passage  before  quoted 
from  Ps.  44.  3. 

13.  For  which  ye  did  not  labor. 
Heb.  'thou  didst  not  labor.'  The 
whole  body  of  the  nation  addressed 
collectively  as  one  person.  IT  Of 
the  vineyards  and  olive-yards — do  you 
eat.  That  is,  of  their  fruits;  a 
usage  of  speech  of  not  uncommon 
occurrence.  Thus  Gen.  3.  11, 
'  Hast  thou  eaten  of  the  tree,  where- 


172 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1427. 


ity  and  in  truth  ;  and  tput  away 
the  gods  which  your  fathers 
served  on  the  other  side  of  the 

k  rer.  Z  23.     Lev.  17.  7      Ezek   20.  18. 


of,  &c.,'  i.  e.  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree 
So  also  Rev.  2.  7,  '  I  will  give  to  him 
to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life.' 

14.  Now  therefore  fear  the  Lord, 
&c.  The  address  of  Joshua  to  Israel 
thus  far  has  been  occupied  with  a 
recital  of  the  leading  events  of  their 
national  history,  events  going  to 
show,  in  the  most  striking  manner, 
the  interposition  of  the  divine  hand 
in  their  behalf.  He  would  thus  lay 
a  foundation  for  that  deep  sense  of 
obligation  and  obedience,  which  he 
aims  in  the  remainder  of  his  dis- 
course to  impress  upon  their  minds. 
From  this  point  therefore,  he  be- 
gins a  practical  application  of  the 
various  facts  he  had  before  enumer- 
ated, turning  the  whole  into  a  power- 
ful appeal  to  the  consciences  and  the 
hearts  of  his  hearers.  H  Serve  him 
in  siiicerity  and  in  truth.  In  upright- 
ness, in  integrity;  not  in  pretence 
and  outward  sernblance  only,  but  in 
reality  and  in  truth.  Do  not  serve 
or  worship  other  gods  in  private, 
while  in  public,  in  the  eyes  of  men, 
you  maintain  the  form  of  the  worship 
of  the  true  God.  IT  Put  au-ay  the  gods 
vshich  your  fathers  served,  &c.  From 
the  general  character  of  this  genera- 
tion, as  evinced  by  their  conduct, 
and  from  the  commendation  bestow- 
ed upon  them  by  Joshua,  ch.  23.  8, 
it  is  difficult  to  conceive  that  the 
positive  practice  of  idolatry  was  now 
fairly  chargeable  upon  them.  If  the 
secret  sin  of  Achan,  in  stealing  cer- 
tain forbidden  articles  at  the  siege 
of  Jericho,  brought  such  fearful 
tokens  of  wrath  upon  the  congrega- 
tion, have  we  not  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  the  act  of  paying  divine 
honors  to  idols,  however  hidden 
from  human  observation,  would 
have  incurred,  at  least,  an  equal 
measure  of  divine  indignation. 
And  if  such  a  sin  were  actually  pre- 
valent among  them,  how  is  it  to  be 
accounted  for  that  Joshua  had  not 
warned  them  against  it  before  ]   B  ut 


flood,  and  lin  Egypt ;  and  serve 
ye  the  Lord, 

15  And   if  it  seem  evil  unto 


perhaps  the  words  of  Joshua,  in  just 
construction,  do  not  necessarily  force 
upon  us  such  a  sense.  The  phrase, 
'  Put  away  the  gods,  &c.,'  may  mean 
simply  keep  away,  renounce,  repudi- 
ate, have  nothing  to  do  with,  being 
equivalent  to  a  charge  to  preserve 
themselves  pure  from  a  contagion  to 
which  they  were  peculiarly  liable. 
"VVe  prefer,  therefore,  to  understand 
the  expression  of  a  vigorous  and  de- 
termined purpose  of  mind  to  which  the 
speaker  exhorts  the  chosen  people, 
while  at  the  same  time  we  cannot 
deny  that  there  may  have  been  in 
solitary  instances  some  lingering  re- 
lics of  actual  idolatry,  which  Joshua 
would  effectually  extinguish  by  this 
solemn  mandate.  But  that  the  of- 
fence was  now  prevalent  to  any  con- 
siderable extent  among  the  people, 
we  have  no  idea.  Not  but  that  there 
was  sufficient  corruption  in  their 
natures,  for  such  a  propensity  to 
live  and  act  upon,  but  the  tenor  of 
the  narrative  does  not,  we  conceive, 
justify  the  supposition  in  respect  to 
them  at  this  time.  We  are  warrant- 
ed, however,  in  drawing  from  Josh- 
ua's words  tlie  practical  inference, 
that  God  requires  the  heart  in  his 
worship,  without  which  their  is  no 
acceptable  service  ;  and  that  that  is 
still  an  idol,  to  which  our  affections 
cleave  more  than  they  do  to  God 
himself  IT  In  Egypt.  This  fact  is 
nowhere  else  expressly  asserted  re- 
specting the  Israelites  in  Egypt,  al- 
though ^Ezek.  23.  3,  8,  and  Acts  7. 
42,  43,  go  strongly  in  confirmation 
of  Joshua's  words.  Considering  the 
idolatrous  tendencies  of  human  na- 
ture, it  is  not  surprising  that  they 
should  have  suffered  themselves  to 
become  infected  with  an  evil  so 
every  where  rife  around  them,  and 
it  was,  perhaps,  in  part  owing  to  this 
that  their  sufferings  were  so  aggra- 
vated and  embittered  in  that '  house 
of  bondage.' 

15.  If  it  seem  evil  in  your  eyes. 


A.  C.  1427.] 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


173 


you  to  sorve  the  Lord,  '"choose 
you  this  day  whom  ye  will  serve, 

in  See  Ri.t'i  I    15.        1  Kin.   18.  21.        Rzek.  2 '.  39. 
Jul.n  ".  67. 

Unjust,  unreasonable,  or  attended 
with  too  many  inconveniences.  "IT 
Choose  ye  this  day  u-hom  yeunll  serve. 
Not  implying  that  it  was  previously 
a  matter  of  indifference,  whether 
thev  served  God  or  no,  or  that  they 
were  reallv  at  liberty  to  refuse  his 
service  if  they  saw  fit ;  but  he  adopts 
this  rhetorical  mode  of  speech,  in 
ordeT-  to  impress  upon  them  more 
forcibly  a  sense  of  their  duty,  and 
the  utter  absurdity,  as  well  as  im- 
piety, of  devoting  themselves  to  any 
other  than  the  true  God.  It  is  a 
striking  way  of  bringing  the  matter 
to  an  issue.  His  aim  is  to  bring 
them  to  a  decided  stand ;  to  a  free, 
intelligent,  firm,  and  lasting  choice 
of  God  as  their  portion.  In  effecting 
this  he  makes  use  of  a  style  of  ad- 
dress which  evidently  implies  that 
the  service  of  idols  compared  with 
the  service  of  God  is  so  irration- 
al, absurd,  and  brutish,  that  no  man 
in  the  calm  exercise  of  his  under- 
standing could  hesitate  which  to 
choose.  If  reason  and  conscience 
could  but  be  allowed  to  speak,  thev 
would  not  fail  to  speak  on  the  side 
of  God.  A  similar  course,  having 
the  same  object  in  view,  was  pur- 
sued by  Elijah,  1  Kings  18.  21,  who 
'  came  unto  all  the  people,  and  said. 
How  long  halt  ye  between  two  opin- 
ions 1  If  the  Lord  be  God,  follow 
him  ;  but  if  Baal,  then  follow  him.' 
The  grand  inference  to  be  dr^wn 
from  this  mode  of  address  is, — That 
the  service  of  God  is  matter  of  vol- 
untary choice,  and  that  it  is  his  will 
that  we  should  all  seriouslv  and  sol- 
emnly make  this  choice.  He  would 
have  us  weigh  the  matter  well,  com- 
pare the  respective  claims  of  his 
service,  and  the  service  of  sin  and 
the  world,  and  if  our  candid  judg- 
ment, as  it  surely  will,  pronounces 
on  the  side  of  that  which  is  good, 
and  true,  and  right,  and  saving,  to 
resolve  at  once  to  embrace  it,  and 
adhere  to  it  with  a  constancy  strong- 


whether  "the  gods  which  your 
fathers  served  that  were  on  the 


er  than  death.  As  the  evidences  in 
favor  of  religion  are  so  clear  and  in- 
disputable, and  its  infinite  advan- 
tages so  obvious,  the  man  who  de- 
clines making  the  choice  here  en- 
joined must  be  considered  as  deliber- 
ately preferring  Satan  tq  Christ, 
death  to  life,  hell  to  heaven.  He 
who  acknovlcdges  the  paramount 
claims  of  God  and  his  Gospel,  and 
yet  does  not  act  accordingly,  does 
not  sincerely  and  solemnly  cAo^sc  his 
service,  as  that  better  part  which 
cannot  be  taken  from  him,  must 
stand  self-condemned  both  here  and 
hereafter.  As  for  me  and  my  house, 
u-e  v'ill  serve  the  Lord.  Ye  may  act 
your  pleasure  in  this  matter,  but 
whatever  may  be  your  election,  / 
am  decided  as  to  my  own  course. 
As  far  as  myself  and  my  household 
are  concerned,  the  question  whom 
we  shall  serve  is  settled.  Whatever 
halting  or  M'avering  there  may  be 
in  other  cases,  there  is  none  in  mine. 
This  declaration  of  their  venerated 
leader,  while  devoid  of  the  least  air 
of  dictation,  and  apparently  leaving 
them  the  most  unrestrained  liberty 
of  choice,  was  in  fact  the  most  pow- 
erful argument  he  could  have  used 
to  influence  their  minds  in  th^  di- 
rection he  wished.  For  the  force  of 
example  is  in  proportion  to  the  depth 
of  respect  and  estimation  in  which 
an  individual  is  held,  and  he  could 
not  fail  to  perceive  that  the  rever- 
ence Avith  which  he  was  regarded 
would  give  to  his  example  a  weight 
and  authority  almost  amounting  to 
absolute  law.  Gratitude  for  his 
services,  confidence  in  his  wisdom, 
and  love  for  his  person  would  all 
combine  to  make  his  conduct  a  pat- 
tern for  theirs;  and  how  blessed  is 
it  when  those  who  possess  these  tm- 
menseadvantages'for  exerting  a  salu- 
tary influence  on  others  are  dispos- 
ed, like  Joshua,  to  T.nake  it  available 
to  the  salvation  of  their  fellow-men! 
This  noble  resolution  of  the  captain 


174 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1427. 


other  side  of  the  flood,  or  °  the 
gods  of  the  Amorites  in  whose 
land  ye  dwell  ;  Pbut  as  for  me 
and  my  house  we  will  serve 
the  LoKD. 

16  And  the  people  answered 
and  said,  God  forbid  that  we 
should  forsake  the  Loud,  to 
serve  other  gods. 

17  For  the  Lord  our  God,  he 
it  is  that  brought  us  up,  and  our 
fathers,  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 
from  the  house  of  bondage,  and 
which   did  those  great  signs  in 

o  Kx.  23.  24,  Zi,  31  &  31.  15.    Deul.  13.  7.  i  29.  18. 
Jutlg.  6.  10.         p  Gcii.  li.  19. 


of  Israel  obviously  suggests  the  fol" 
lowing  reflections;  (1.)  The  service 
of  God  is  nothing  below  the  most 
distinguished  of  men.  It  is  no  di- 
minution of  their  greatness,  no  dis- 
paragement to  their  rank,  re^puta- 
tion,  or  honor  to  be  decidedly  pious, 
and  to  be  openly  and  avowedly  so. 
On  the  contrary,  it  heightens  every 
other  distinction,  and  makes  all  hon- 
or still  loore  .honorable.  (•2.)  In  re= 
gard  to  the  great  interests  of  religion 
and  the  soul,  we  are  to  be  concerned 
for  others,  particularly  our  house- 
holds, as  well  as  for  ourselves.  It 
should  be  our  earnest  aim  to  unite 
our  families,  our  wives,  children, 
and  servants,  those  that  come  under 
our  special  care  and  influence,  with 
us  in  every  pious  resolution  and  la- 
bor. Heads  of  households  should 
feel  not  only  anxietij.  but  deep  rcspo7i- 
sibilitijy  in  respect  to  those  thus  en- 
trusted to  their  charge.  (3.)  Those 
that  lead  and  rule  in  other  things 
should  be  first  in  the  service  of  God, 
and  go  before  in  every  good  Avork, 
(4.)  We  should  resolve  to  do  right 
and  to  do  good,  whatever  others  may 
do.  Though  others  may  desert  the 
cause  of  God,  we  should  stand  by  it 
at  all  hazards,  whatever  charge"  of 
singularity  or  expression  of  popular 
odium  it  may  bring  upon  us.  '  Those 
that  are  bound  for  heaven  must  be 
willing  to  swim  against  the  stream, 


our  siiht,  and  preseived  us  in 
all  the  way  wherein  we  went, 
and  among  all  the  people 
through  whom  we  passed  : 

18  And  the  Lord  drave  out 
from  before  us  all  the  people, 
even  the  Amorites  which  dwelt 
in  the  land  :  therefore  will  we 
also  serve  the  Lord  ;  for  he  is 
our  God. 

19  And  Joshua  said  unto  the 
people,  "^Ye  cannot  serve  the 
Lord  :  for  he  is  a  ""holy  God  i 
he  is  ^a  jealous  God  ;    ^he  will 

q  M.itt.  6.  24.      r  Lev.  19.  2,   1  Sam.  6,  20.     Ps.  99. 
5,  9.     Is.  5.  16.         s  Ex.  20.  5.         i  Ex.  -.^3.  21. 

and  must  not  do  as  the  most  do,  but 
as  thei^s^  do.'     Henry. 

IG.  The  people  ansivered  and  said, 
God  forbid^  &c,  Joshua  has  the 
pleasure  of  finding  the  people  ready 
from  their  hearts  to  concur  with 
him  in  his  pious  resolution.  By  an 
emphatic  expression,  denoting  the 
greatest  dread  and  detestation  ima- 
ginable, they  show  that  they  startle 
ai  the  thought  uf  aposiatlaing  from 
God,  aa  if  it  would,  imply  their  being 
utterly  lost  to  justice,  gratitude,  hon^ 
or,  and  every  generous  feeling.  At 
the  same  time,  they  give  such  sub- 
stantial reasons  for  their  choice,  as 
to  show  that  it  was  not  purely  out  of 
compliment  to  Joshua,  highly  as  they 
esteemed  him,  that  they  made  it,  but 
from  a  full  conviction  of  its  intrin- 
sic reasonableness  and  equity.  They 
professedly  and  justly  found  their 
obligations,  first  on  the  consideration 
of  the  great  and  merciful  things 
which  God  had  done  for  them,  in 
bringing  them  out  of  Egypt  through 
the  wilderness  into  Canaan,  when 
they  were  now  planted  in  peace ;  and, 
secondly,  of  the  relation  in  which 
they  stood  to  God  as  a  covenant 
people.  'He  is  our  God;'  he  has 
graciously  engaged  himself  by  pro- 
mise to  us,  and  we  have  bound  our- 
selves by  solemn  vow  to  him.  Woe 
be  to  usif  we  prove  false  and  treach» 
erous  to  our  plighted  faith, 


A.  C.  1427.] 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


175 


not  forgive  your  transgressions 
nor  your  sins. 


19.  Ye  cannot  serve  the  Lord,  &c. 
It  cannot  be  supposed  for  a  moment 
that  Joshua  intended  to  deter  the 
people  from  the  service  of  God  by 
representing  it  as  impracticable  or 
dangerous.  On  the  contrary,  his  de- 
sign is  to  enlist  them  more  sincerely 
and  steadfastly  m  it,  but  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  weakness  and  corruption 
of  our  fallen  nature,  prompted  him 
to  do  this  in  a  manner  that  savors 
of  discouragement  and  repulsive- 
ness.  Finding  them  now  animated 
by  a  glowing  zeal,  forward  and  abun- 
dant in  their  professions,  and  uncon- 
sciously prone  to  trust  to  their  own 
strength,  Joshua,  in  these  words, 
designs  to  administer  a  wholesome 
check  to  their  ardor,  by  setting  im- 
pressively before  them  the  holy  and 
sin-avenging  character  of  the  God 
with  whom  they  had  to  do,  and  the 
fearful  consequences  of  disobedience 
and  apostacy.  This  would  beat  them 
off  from  that  overweening  self-con- 
fidence which  they  were  so  prone  to 
indulge.  It  would  convince  them 
that  it  was  no  light  and  easy  matter 
to  persevere  in  the  strict  observance 
of  the  divine  precepts,  and  thus  ihey 
would  be  more  cautious,  circum- 
spect, and  humble  in  their  profes- 
sions, and  go  forward  in  their  Avalk 
with  more  awe  upon  their  spirits, 
and  a  more  trembling  sense  of  their 
dependence  on  a  higher  power  than 
their  own.  This  Joshua  well  knew 
was  the  only  frame  of  mind  which 
could  be  trusted  to  for  permanent 
and  happy  results,  and  he  therefore 
aims  to  have  their  present  lively 
zeal  based  upon  the  only  foundation 
that  would  ensure  its  continuance. 
He  would  have  them  count  the  cost 
of  the  engagements  into  which  they 
proposed  to  enter,  and  be  fully  aware 
of  the  temptations,  tribulations,  con- 
flicts and  self-denials  which  they 
would  involve ;  and  above  all  would 
have  their  inmost  souls  pervaded  by 


20  "If  ye  forsake  the  Lord, 
and  serve   strange  gods,   ^tlien 

nlChr.  Q^.  9.    2Cl.r.  1>.  2.     Ktr.i8.22.     Is.  I.  23. 
&  tio.  11,  12.      Jer.  17.  13.         x  cli.  23.  15.     I^.  61^.  10. 


a  deep  and  atvful  reverence  of  God, 
the  essential  principle  of  all  true  re-  ' 
ligion.  In  like  manner,  it  deserves 
very  serious  deliberation  whether 
there  is  not  danger  of  representing 
the  sincere  service  of  God  as  a  mat- 
ter of  very  little  difficulty,  provided 
only  there  be  evidence  of  a  present 
vigorous  resolution,  and  whether  it  be 
not  better  in  such  cases  wisely  to  re- 
press, chasten,  and  even  dampen  the 
w^armth  of  present  zeal  by  consider- 
ations like  those  which  Joshua  now 
pressed  upon  the  children  of  Israel. 
The  same  infallible  authority  which 
assures  that  the  yoke  of  Christ  is 
easy  and  his  burden  light,  assures  us 
also  that  the  gate  is  strait,  and  the 
way  narrow,  that  leads  to  life,  and 
that  there  is  need  of  striving  as  well 
as  seeking  to  enter  in.  Certain  it  is, 
that  great  wisdom  is  requisite  in 
every  spiritual  guide  in  digging 
deep'  and  laying  the  foundations 
sure  of  a  life  of  consistent,  uniform, 
and  devoted  piety.  Nor  are  we  of 
opinion  that  the  policy  of  such  emi- 
nent servants  of  God,  as  Moses, 
Joshua,  Samuel,  Peter,  and  Paul, 
will  ever  be  out  of  date  in  the 
church.  The  more  the  sinner  des- 
pairs of  his  own  sufficiency,  the  bet- 
ter security  will  he  give  for  his  ulti- 
mate stability  and  perseverance  in 
the  faith.  ^ He  is  an  holy  God. 
Heb.  'he  is  holy  Gods;'  the  adjec- 
tive being  plural  as  w'ell  as  the  sub- 
stantive. The  expression  is  remark- 
able and  contrary  to  usual  analogy, 
but  whether  carrying  with  it  any 
special  implication  in  regard  to  the 
divine  nature,  it  is  perhaps  impos- 
sible to  say.  We  imagine  on  the 
whole  that  to  a  Hebrew  ear  the 
phrase  w^ould  merely  convey  the 
idea  of  more  emphasis,  solemnity, 
and  awfulness  in  respect  to  the  at- 
tribute here  affirmed  of  Jehovah  T 
Will  not  forgive.  Or,  Heb. '  will  not 
bear,  will  not  tolerate.'    The  mean- 


178 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1427. 


he  will  turn  and  do  you  hurt, 
and  consume  you,  tifter  that  he 
hatli  done  you  good. 

21  And  the  people  said  unto 
Joshua,  Nay  ;  but  we  will  serve 
the  Lord. 

22  And  Joshua  said  unto  the 
people,  Ye  are  witnesses  ag;iinst 
yourselves  that  yye  have  chosen 
you  the  Lord,  to  serve  him. 
And  they  said.  We  are  witnesses. 

y  Ps    Ua.    173. 


ing  is.  not  that  God  was  implacable, 
or  that  he  would  not  show  mercy  to 
the  penitent,  however  great  their 
sins,  but  that  they  could  not  offend 
against  him  with  impunity,  that  he 
would  certainly  punish  their  tsans- 
gressions.  However,  it  might  be 
with  others,  they  would  be  sure  to  be 
visited  for  their  iniquities. 

20.  Strange  gads.  Heb.  '  gods  of 
the  stranger  or'foreigner.'  H  Then 
he  vrill  turn,  &c.  Not  in  himself  or 
in  his  dispositions  towards  his 
creatures,  for  we  are  elsewhere  told 
that  with  him  there  is  '  no  variable- 
ness nor  the  least  shadov:  of  turning.^ 
But  the  character  of  his  dispen- 
sations, the  course  of  his  providence 
towards  them  should  be  entirely 
changed,  in  view  of  the  change  in 
their  conduct  towards  him.  He 
would  henceforward  be  as  severe 
and  vindictive,  as  he  hadbeforebeen 
kind  and   gracious.  IT  Consume 

you  after  that  he  hath  done  ijsu  good. 
Nothing  so  embitters  the  judgments 
of  God,  as  the  reflection  that  they 
have  been  incurred  after  the  experi- 
ence of  his  tender  mercies.  The 
fact  that  we  have  made  him  to  re- 
pent of  his  past  kindnesses  to  us, 
and  forget  all  the  good  he  had 
wrought  in  our  behalf,  barbs  and  en- 
venoms the  arrow  of  remorse  be- 
yond the  power  of  language  to  de- 
scribe. 

21.  We  will  serve  the  Lord,.  This 
shows  that  they  understood  the  words 
-of  Joshua-  to  imply  no  moral  ina- 


23  Now  therefore  ^put  away 
[said  he)  the  strange  gods  which 
are  among  you,  and'  incline  your 
heart  unto  the  Lord  God  of  Is- 
rael. 

24  And  the  people  said  unto 
Joshua,  Tiie  Lord  our  God  will 
we  serve,  and  his  voice  will  we 
obey. 

25  So  Joshua  "made  a  coven- 
ant with  the  people  that  day,  and 

z  ver    II.     Gep.  35  2.      Jiidg.  10.  16.     1  Sair..  7.  3. 
a.-ce  Kx.  15.  i5.     Z  Kiu.  U.  17. 


bility  on  their  side,  and  notwith- 
standing his  statement  of  difficulties, 
and  the  seeming  discouragements 
which  he  throws  in  their  way,  but 
which  are  really  intended  to  quick- 
en and  invigorate  their  resolutions, 
they  declare  a  firm  and  fixed  pur- 
pose of  obedience.  In  so  saying 
they  did  virtually  confirm  and  ratify 
by  their  own  express  consent  the 
covenant  which  Joshua  would  now 
impose  upon  them,  and  by  voluntar- 
ily engaging,  as  he  intimated  would 
be  the  case,  to  be  witnesses  against 
themselves,  provided  they  turned 
aside  from  God,  they  did' in  eftect 
affix  their  name  and  seal  to  that 
solemn  covenant,  and  bind  them- 
selves under  fearful  sanctions  to  its 
faithful  observance. 

23^.  Put  av:ay  the  strange  gods, 
&e.  See  above  on  v.  14.  Rabbi 
Levi,  son  of  Gerson,  a  Jewish  com- 
mentator, remarks  upon  this  pas- 
sage, that  Joshua  '  says  this  to  them, 
in  order  that  if  their  hearts  had  been 
enticed  by  any  of  the  idolatries  of 
the  people  of  that  land,  they  should 
put  aiuay  the  pernicious  thoughts  that 
v/ere  in  them.'  Augustin  is  of  the 
same  opinion  in  relation  to  the  true 
meaning  of  the  passage. 

25.  Joshua  made  a  co  vcnant.  Heb. 
'cut  a  covenant;'  alluding  to  the 
sacrifice  usually  offered  on  such  oc- 
casions. But  whether  the  ordinary 
rites  were  performed  at  this  time  is 
uncertain.  The  use  of  this  term 
does  not  perhaps  necessarily  imply 


A.  C.  1427.] 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


177 


set  them  a  statute  and  an  ordin- 
ance '^in  Shechem. 

26  IT  And  Joshua  '^  wrote  these 
words  in  the  book  of  the  law  of 
God,  and  took  '^a  great  stone, 
and  «set  it  up  there  ^ under  an 
oak  that  was  by  the  sanctuary 
of  the  Lord. 

b  ver.  26.    c  Deut.  31.  24.    d  See  Judg.  9.  6.     e  See 
Gen.  28.  18.     ch.  4.3.        f  Gen.  35.  4. 


that  they  were.  The  ceremonies 
usual  in  forming  and  in  renezci?ig 
a  covenant  might  not  have  been  the 
same.  TI  Set  tkem  a  statute  and  a,n 
ordinance.  That  is,  as  some  sup- 
pose, on  renewing  the  covenant  he 
formed  the  whole  into  a  statute  and 
ordinance  which  was  promulgated 
for  all  Israel  to  receive  and  obey. 
Both  they  and  their  posterity  were 
to  regard  it  in  the  light  of  a  binding 
enactment,  having  all  the  force  of  a 
divine  ordinance.  Otherwise  the 
phrase,  'he  set  them  a  statute,  &c.,' 
may  mean  that  he  declared  or  pro- 
pounded to  them,  he  set  before  them, 
the  sum  and  substance  of  the  Mosaic 
statutes,  which  their  covenant  obli- 
ged them  to  observe.  But  from 
what  is  said  in  the  next  verse  of  his 
writing  these  words  in  the  book  of 
the  law,  we  think  the  former  the 
most  correct  interpretation. 

26.  Wrote  tkese  wofds  in  the  booTc 
ofthelaio  of  God.  He  made  a  re- 
cord of  the  transaction,  particularly 
of  the  solemn  engagements  of  the 
people,  and  inserted  it  on  some  blank 
space  of  the  great  roll  on  which  the 
sacred  canon  was  originally  in- 
scribed. There  it  was  written,  that 
their  obligation  to  obedience  by  the 
divine  precept  and  by  their  own  pro- 
mise, might  remain  on  record  to- 
gether. It  would  thus,  as  intimated 
in  V.  25,  from  its  very  position  serve 
more  effectually  as  '  a  statute  and  an 
ordinance,'  and  be  in  fact  an  ever- 
lasting witness  against  them  in  case 
they  should  prove  unfaithful  to  the' 
compact,  for  it  was  probably  trans- 
cribed from  thence  into  all  the 
other  copies  of  the  law  which  were 
16 


27  And  Joshua  said  unto  all 
the  people,  Behold,  this  stone 
shall  be  ea  witness  unto  us  ;  for 
'nt  hath  heard  all  the  words  of 
the  Lord  which  he  spake  unto 
us  :  it  shall  be  therefore  a  wit- 
ness  unto  you,  lest  ye  deny  your 
God. 

g  See  Gen.  31.  48,  52.    Deut.  31.  19,  21,  26.    ch.  22- 
27,  28,  34.        h  Deut.  32.  1. 

multiplied  in  after  ages  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  nation.  IT  Took  a  great 
stone ^  and  set  it  up  there  under  an 
oak.  To  insure  still  more  effectu- 
ally the  memory  of  this  solemn 
transaction,  Joshua  reared  a  pillar 
of  stone  on  the  spot,  according  to  the 
custom  of  ancient  times.  Gen.  28. 18. 
Deut.  27.  2,  as  an  enduring  monu- 
ment of  the  event  which  had  now  oc- 
curred. Whether  the  stone  contain- 
ed an  inscription  defining  the  pur- 
pose of  its  erection,  is  not  certain, 
though  not  improbable.  The  *  oak' 
here  mentioned  is  supposed  by  some 
to  have  been  the  same  with  that  un- 
der which  Jacob  buried  the  idols 
and  images  that  were  found  in  his 
family.  Gen.  35.  4,  but  in  Judg,  9.  6, 
the  original  term  is  translated 
'plain,'  and  the  place  where  the 
stone  was  set  up  is  called  '  the  plain 
of  the  pillar.'  II  That  was  by  the 
sanctuary  of  the  Lord.  Near  the 
place  where  the  ark  and  the  taber- 
nacle now  stood,  during  their  tem- 
porary continuance  at  Shechem, 
See  on  v.  1. 

27.  It  hath  heard  all  the  words,  &c, 
A  strong  figure  of  speech,  by  which 
he  tacitly  upbraids  the  people  with 
the  hardness  of  their  hearts,  as  if 
this  stone  had  heard  to  as  good  pur- 
pose as  some  of  them ;  and  if  they 
should  forget  what  was  now  done, 
this  stone  would  so  far  preserve  the 
remembrance  of  it,  as  to  reproach 
them  for  their  stupidity  and  careless- 
ness, and  be  a  witness  against  them, 
Williams  very  appositely  cites  from 
Livy  the  following  instance  of  a 
similar  phraseology ; — '  The  general 
of  the  ^qui  informed  the  Roman 


178 


JOSHUA. 


[A.  C.  1427. 


28  So  i  Joshua  let  the  people 
depart,  every  man  unto  his  in- 
heritance. 

29  IT  kAnd  it  came  to  pass 
after  these  things,  that  Joshua 
the  son  of  Nun  the  servant  of 
the  Lord  died,  being  a  hundred 
and  ten  years  old. 

i  i  Judg.  2.  C.         k  Jiidg.  2.  8. 

ambassadors  (sent  to  complain  of  a 
plundering  excursion)  that  they 
might  deliver  their  message  to  an 
oak  wliich  shaded  his  tent.  On  this 
one  of  the  ambassadors  turning  away 
said :  '  This  venerable  oak  and  all  the 
gods  shall  knoiD  that  you  have  viola- 
ted the  peace ;  they  shall  now  hear 
our  complaints  ;  and  may  they  soon 
be  ivitncsses,  when  we  revenge  with 
our  arms  the  violation  of  divine  and 
human  rights.'  By  a  like  usage  of 
speech  the  sacred  writers  frequently 
call  upon  the  heavens  and  the  earth 
to  hear  their  addresses  to  the  people 
of  Israel.     Deut.  32.  1.  Is.  1.2. 

28.  So  Joshua  let  the  people  depart, 
every  via n  unto  his  inheritance.  Heb. 
'sent  away,  or  dismissed'  This 
verse  occurs  in  nearly  the  same 
words  Judg.  2.  6,  with  the  added 
clause,  'to  possess  the  land;'  i.  e. 
that  every  one  might  manfully  exert 
himself  to  expel  the  Canaanites  and 
obtain  the  complete  possession  of  his 
destined  inheritance. — '  In  this  affec- 
ting manner  Joshua  took  his  leave 
of  Israel,  went  from  this  last  and 
perhaps  best  source  to  God  and  them, 
and  was  speedily  taken  to  his  rest  in 
heaven.'     Scott. 

29.  Joshua — died,  being  an  hun- 
dred and  ten  years  old.  Precisely 
the  age  of  his  renowned  ancestor  Jo- 
seph; yet  he  was  not  buried  in  the 
same  place  with  him,  but  in  his  own 
inheritance,  which  seems  to  have 
been  ihe  general  practice. — How 
long  he  lived  after  the  entrance  of 
Israel  into  Canaan  we  have  no 
merns  of-  determining.  Lightfoot 
thinks  it  was  about  seventeen  years, 
but  the  Jewish  chronolosjers  gener- 
ally fix  it  at  twenty-seven  or  Iwenty- 


30  And  they  buried  him  in 
the  border  of  his  inheritance  in 
iTiinnath-serah,  which  is  in 
mount  Ephraim,  on  the  north, 
side  ofthe  hill  of  Gaash. 

31  And  '"Israel  served  the 
Lord  all  the  days  of  Joshua,  and 
all  the  days  of  the  elders  that 

Icli.  19.  50.    JuJg.  2  9.  m  Judg.  2.7. 


eight.  There  is  no  mention  of  any 
public  mourning  at  his  death,  as 
there  was  for  iVloses  and  Aaron,  and 
his  only  epitaph  was,  in  effect, 
couched  in  the  brief  terms, '  the  ser- 
vant OF  THE  Lord.'  This  however 
comprehended  the  sum  of  the  high- 
est eulogiums  that  could  be  bestow- 
ed on  his  character.  Though  infe- 
rior in  many  respects  to  Moses,  yet 
in  this  he  was  equal  to  him,  that  ac- 
cording as  his  work  was  in  the 
sphere  in  which  he  was  placed,  he 
had  approved  himself  a  diligent,  de- 
voted, and  faithful  servant  of  the 
Most  High ;  and  no  man  need  desire 
a  more  honorable  testimonial  to  re- 
cord his  worth  to  his  own  or  future 
generations. 

30.  Btiried  him  in  the  border  of  his 
inheritance  in  Timnath-serah.  In 
the  compass,  in  the  limits  of  his  in- 
heritance. See  the  remark  on  the 
import  of  the  word  'border'  in  the 
note  on  ch.  19.  25.  Of  Timnath-se- 
rah, see  on  Judg.  2.  9. 

31 .  The  elders  that  over-lived  Josh- 
ua. Heb.  '  that  prolonged  their 
days  after  Joshua.'  Intimating  that 
the  salutary  influence  of  Joshua's 
exemplary  life  and  character  extend- 
ed beyonii  the  term  of  his  natural 
existence,  and  served  for  a  number 
of  years  to  keep  the  people  in  a  gen- 
eral course  of  obedience.  Whether 
for  good  or  for  evil  the  effect  of  our 
example  may  be  expected  to  live 
after  us.  This  shows  that  this  part 
ofthe  book  must  have  been  written 
a  considerable  time  after  the  death 
of  Joshua.  See  on  ch.  4.  9.  H 
Which  had  knoicn  all  ihe  tcorks  of 
the  Lord.  Who  had  been  eye-wit- 
nesses of  them,  who  had  profound- 


A.  C.  1426.] 

overlived  Joshua,  and  which  had 
"known  all  the  works  of  the 
Lord  that  he  had  done  for  Israel. 
32  IT  And  "the  bones  of  Jos. 
eph,  which  the  children  of  Israel 
brought  up  out  of  Egypt,  buried 
they  in  Shechem,  in  a  parcel  of 
ground  Pwhich  Jacob  bought  of 
the  sons  of  Hamor  the  father  of 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


179 


n  See  Deut.  11.  2.  &  31.  13. 
13.  19.        p  Gea   33.  19. 


0  Gen.  50.  2-5. 


ly  and  devoutly  regarded  them  ;  who 
had  not  only  seen  them,  but  ponder- 
ed upon  them  with  those  sentiments 
which  they  were  calculated  to  excite. 
Such  is  the  genuine  import  of 
'  known'  in  this  connection. 

32,  The  bones  of  Joseph  buried 
they  in  Shechem.  Joseph's  death 
took  place  in  Egypt  about  two  hun- 
dred years  before  that  of  Joshua, 
and  we  learn.  Gen.  50.  25,  Ex.  13. 
19,  that  prior  to  his  decease  he  had 
given  a  strict  charge  that  his  bones 
should- be  conveyed  away  out  of 
Egypt  by  his  people  when  they 
themselves  went  up  from  thence. 
Accordingly  they  had  carried  these 
precious  relics  with  them  in  all  their 
wanderings  through  the  wilderness, 
and  never  attempted  to  bury  them 
till  they  were  peaceably  settled  in  the 
promised  land.  The  act  of  sepul- 
ture, though  here  related  after  the 
account  of  the  death  of  Joshua,  un- 
doubtedly took  place  ie/o re  it,  and  not 
improbably  at  the  time  of  the  gene- 
ral convention  at  Shechem  descri- 
bed in  the  present  chapter.  The  oc- 
casion, at  any  rate,  would  seem  to 
have  been  a  very  suitable  one  for 
such  a  solemn  ceremony,  although 
it  be  true  that  a  considerable  long 
interval  had  now  elapsed  since  the 


Shechem  for  a  hundred  pieces 
of  silver  ;  and  it  became  the  in- 
heritance  of  the  children  of  Jo- 
seph. 

33  And  Eleazar  the  son  of 
Aaron  died  ;  and  they  buried 
him  in  a  hill  that  pertained  to 
•^Phinehas  his  son,  which  was 
given  him  in  mount  Ephraim. 

q  Ex.  6.  25.         Judg.  20.  28. 

conquest  and  occupation  of  Canaan. 
But  reasons  unknown  may  have  de- 
layed the  event.  After  all,  ihe  point 
is  uncertain  and  of  little  moment. 
If  any  one  prefers  to  translate  the 
original  '  had  buried'  instead  of '  bu- 
ried,' implying  that  the  circumstance 
took  place  some  years  before  when 
the  children  of  Joseph  first  received 
their  inheritance,  which  they  would 
naturally  be  disposed  at  once  to  con- 
secrate by  depositing  within  it  the 
remains  of  their  venerated  ancestor, 
we  know  of  nothing  to  object 
against  it,  H  Which  Jacob  botight, 
&c.     See  on  Gen.  33.  19. 

33.  And  Eleazar — died.  Proba- 
bly about  the  same  time  with  Josh- 
ua, H  l7i  a  hill  that  pertained  to 
Phi7iehas.  As  the  cities  assigned  to 
the  priests  lay  in  the  lots  of  Judah, 
Benjamin,  and  Simeon,  neither  fa- 
ther nor  son  could  properly  inherit 
a  portion  located  in  Mount  Ephraim. 
But  such  a  portion  might  be  given. 
them  there,  and  the  probability  is  that 
the  people  voluntarily  gave  to  the 
high  priest  a  place  of  residence  sit- 
uated at  a  convenient  distance  from 
Joshua  and  the  tabernacle,  and  that 
this  was  called  the  '  hill  of  Phineas,' 
because  he  dwelt  longer  there  than 
his  father  Eleazar  had  done. 


THE     BOOK     OF    JUDGES 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUDGES. 


INTRODUCTION. 

I. —  Title,  its   Origin  and  Import. 

The  seventh  book  in  the  received  order  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  is 
termed,  aitSSDITZJ  Shopketim,  Judges  ;  a  name  derived  from  totlD  Shaphat, 
to  judge,  to  determine  causes,  to  do  justice,  to  vindicate,  and  also,  in  general, 
to  rule,  govern,  reg%Llate,  and  applied  here  to  the  chief  rulers  who  governed 
the  Hebrew  Republic  from  the  days  of  Moses  till  the  time  of  Saul,  be- 
cause riding  and  judging  are  so  intimately  connected  in  the  East,  that 
sitting  in  judgment  is  one  of  the  principal  employments  of  the  oriental 
sovereign.  From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  title,  as  thus  applied,  is  to  be 
taken  in'a  wider  sense  than  the  same  term  conveys  with  us,  viz.  persons 
appointed  to  determine  litigated  questions,  and  to  pronounce  the  sentence 
of  the  law  in  criminal  cases.  Here,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  used  to  denote 
those  occasional  leaders  and  chief  magistrates  of  the  Israelites,  who  led 
out  the  people  to  war  against  their  enemies,  and  after  having  delivered 
them  from  the  oppression  of  the  neighboring  nations,  exercised  each 
during  peace,  the  office  of  chief  ruler  and  judge  of  Israel.  Still  the 
predominant  idea  conveyed  by  the  term  is  rather  that  of  military  com- 
manders, or  more  properly  avenging  deliverers,  than  of  judicial  officers, 
as  this  latter  function  came  more  within  the  province  of  the  priests. 

In  order  to  form  a  still  more  distinct  idea  of  the  nature  of  this  office, 
let  it  be  remarked,  that  the  Hebrew  constitution  made  no  provision  for  a 
permanent  and  general  governor  of  the  nation ;  and  that  for  obvious 
reasons.  In  the  first  place,  God  himself  was  the  chief  magistrate  of  that 
people,  and  had  established  an  agency,  through  which  his  will  might  be 
at  all  times  ascertained.  Under  him  there  was  his  visible  minister,  the 
high-priest,  who  was  empowered  to  attend  to  the  general  affairs  of  the 
nation,  where  there  was  no  military  or  civil  ruler  specially  appointed  for 
the  purpose.  It  is  also  to  be  remembered  that  every  tribe  had  its  own 
chief  or  prince,  whose  office  was  permanent,  and  who,  with  the  subordinate 
heads  of  families,  wielded  the  patriarchal  powers,  which,  in  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances, were  amply  sufficient  to  keep  the  affairs  of  his  tribe  in  pro- 
per order.  In  this  state  of  things  the  mild  authority  of  the  high-priest 
ought  to  have  been  sufficient  for  the  purposes  of  general  government. 
But  this  was  not  the  case  ;  the  apostacy  and  rebellion  of  the  Israelites,  and 
the  punishment  with  which  such  sins  were  visited,  gave  occasion  for  the 
appointment  of  extraordinary  officers,  which  the  organization  of  the  state 
did  not  in  itself  require.  These  were  the  Judges.  They  arose  from  time 
to  time  as  they  were  wanted;  and  were  sometimes  called  by  God  himself 
to  their  high  work,  and  were  sometimes  elected  by  the  people.  The  judge 
was  commonly  a  person  who,  having  been  instrumental  in  delivering 
the  people  from  oppression,  continued  to  administer  a  government 
more  or  less  extensive  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  Some,  however, 
appear  to  have  been  appointed  to  govern  in  time  of  peace.    Deborah  ruled 


184  INTRODUCTION. 

in  Israel  before  the  war  with  Jabin ;  Samuel  was  not  introduced  to  the 
government  by  his  military  exploits  ;  and  of  several  others,  it  is  at  least 
uncertain  whether  they  held  any  military  command.  The  oppressions 
which  this  book  records  were  not  always  equally  felt  over  all  Israel';  and 
hence  ihe  authority  of  the  deliverer  sometimes  extended  only  over  the 
tribes  he  had  delivered.  Thus  Jephthah  did  not  exercise  his  authority  on 
the  west  of  the  Jordan,  nor  did  that  of  Barak  extend  to  the  east  of  that 
river.  Some  of  the  judges  appear  to  have  ruled  simultaneously  over 
different  tribes ;  and  this  is  one  of  the  circumstances  which  render  the 
chronology  of  the  period  so  perplexing. 

The  judges  did  not  transmit  their  dignity  to  their  descendants,  neither 
did  they  appoint  successors.  They  could  not  enact  laws  or  impose  taxes 
on  the  "people,  though  they  made  peace  or  war,  and  in  their  judicial  ca- 
pacity decided  causes  without  appeal.  Yei  all  this  power  seems  to  hava 
been  rather  the  result  of  character  and  influence,  than  of  any  authority 
recognized  as  inherent  in  the  ofiice.  No  salary  or  income  was  attached 
to  it,  nor  did  they  receive  emoluments  of  any  kind.  They  had  no  external 
marks  of  distinction  ;  they  were  surrounded  by  no  circumstances  of  pomp 
or  ceremony  ;  they  had  no  courtiers,  guard,  train,  or  equipage.  They 
were  in  general  men  of  moderate  desires,  and  content  to  deserve  well  of 
their  country,  without  seeking  to  aggrandize  or  enrich  themselves.  They 
always  considered  and  conducted  themselves  as  specially  called  of  God, 
relying  upon  him  in  all  their  enterprises,  and  making  it  their  chief  care  to 
bring  their  countryman  to  acknowledge,  worship,  and  obey  him.  Though 
evincing  in  some  melancholy  instances  the  infirmities  of  human  nature, 
yet  they"  were  on  the  whole  models  of  true  patriotism  and  of  moral  worth, 
and  eminently  free  from  the  public  crimes,  which  in  all  ages  have  so 
notoriously  flown  from  the  possession  and  the  lust  of  power. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  Carthagenians,  who  were  descended 
from  the  Tyrians,  and  spoke  Hebrew,  called  their  chief  magistrates  by 
the  same  name  :  but  the  Latins,  whose  language  lacks  the  5/1  of  the  ancient 
Hebrews  and  Carthagenians,  wrote  the  word  with  a  sharp  s,  and  adding  a 
Latin  termination,  denominated  them  Suffeies ;  a  class  of  functionaries 
very  nearly  resembling  the  archons  of  the  Athenians,  and  the  dictators  of 
the  Romans. 

II. — Author  and  Age. 

The  authorship  of  the  book  cannot  be  determined  with  absolute  cer- 
tainty. Some  ascribe  it  to  Samuel,  some  to  Hezekiah,  and  some  to  Ezra, 
who  is  supposed  to  have  compiled  it  from  the  memoirs  furnished  by  the 
respective  judges  of  their  own  government.  This  hypothesis  is  founded 
mainly  on  what  is  said  ch.  18.  30,  '  He  and  his  son  were  priests  to  the 
tribe  of  Dan,  until  the  day  of  the  captivity  of  the  land,'  from  which  it  has 
been  imagined  that  it  was  not  written  till  after  the  Babylonish  captivity. 
But  this  conjecture  is  evidently  erroneous ;  as  upon  comparing  Ps.  78.  60, 
61,  andl  Sam.  4,11,  with  that  passage,  it  appears  that  the  captivity  intended 
by  the  historian  was  a  particular  captivity  of  the  tribe  of  Dan, 'or  of  that 
part  of  it  which  was  settled  in  the  north,  and  which  took  place  about  the 
time  the  ark  was  taken  by  the  Philistines.  Besides,  the  total  absence  of 
Chaldee  words  sufficiently  proves  the  date  of  the  book  to  have  been  several 
centuries  anterior  to  the  great  Babylonish  captivity.  Such  words  are  of 
frequent  occurrence  in  books  known  to  have  been  written  posterior  to 
that  event.  Most  of  the  Jewish  and  Christian  commentators  assign  the 
authorship  to  Samuel ;  probably  because  internal  evidence  places  it  pretty 
clearly  about  his  time,  and  in  his  time  he  is  the  most  likely  person  to 


INTRODUCTION.  185 

whom  the  writing  of  it  could  be  ascribed.  That  it  was  written  after  the 
establishment  of  the  regal  government,  appears  from  the  habit  the  author 
has  of  saying,  that  such  and  such  events  happened  in  the  time  wlien  '  there 
was  no  king  in  Israel;'  which  renders  it  evident  that  there  tcu/s  a  king 
when  he  wrote.  But  that  it  was  written  very  soon  after  the  establishment 
of  kingly  government  is  no  less  clear  from  other  passages.  Thus  we  see 
from  ch.  1.  21,  that  the  Jebusites  were  still  in  Jerusalem  in  the  lime  of  the 
author;  but  this  people  were  expelled  from  that  city  early  in  the  reign  of 
David,  2  Sam.  5.  6.  So  also  in  2  Sam.  11.  21,  there  is  a  distinct  reference 
to  a  fact  recorded  Judg.  9.  53,  which  affords  another  proof  that  this  book 
was  written  before  the  second  of  Samuel.  On  the  whole,  there  is  little 
doubt  that  the  book  of  Judges  was  composed  in  its  present  form,  either  m 
the  reign  of  Saul  or  during  the  first  seven  years  of  the  reign  of  David, 
and  this  renders  it  more  probable  that  it  was  compiled  from  the  public 
legisters  and  records  by  Samuel,  than  by  any  of  the  other  prophets, 
priests,  or  kings  to  whom  it  has  been  attributed. 

III. — Structure  and  Division, 

The  book  is  not  constructed  with  reference  to  the  precise  chronologi- 
cal order  of  the  events  related.  It  is  clearly  divisible  into  two  leading 
parts;  the  first  embracing  the  history  of  the  Judges  from  Othniel  to  Sam- 
son and  extending  to  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  chapter ;  the  other  occupy- 
ing the  rest  of  the  book,  forms  a  sort  of  appendix,  narrating  certr.in  me- 
morable transactions  which  occurred  not  long  after  the  death  of  Joshua, 
but  which  are  thrown  together  at  the  end  of  the  book,  that  the  continuous 
thread  of  the  preceding  narrative  might  not  be  interrupted.  What  re- 
lates to  the  two  last  judges,  Eli  and  Samuel,  is  related  in  the  following 
book. 

IV. —  Chronology. 

The  Chronology  of  this  book  is  exceedingly  embarrassed  and  difficult, 
and  there  is  little  agreement  among  learned  men  respecting  it.  This  arises 
chiefly  from  the  facts  related  being  reckoned  from  different  eras  which 
cannot  now  be  exactly  ascertained ;  and  also  from  judges  being  thought 
by  some  to  be  successive,  whom  others  consider  to  have  been  contemporary 
in  different  parts  of  Palestine.  Without  reciting  the  details  of  the  differ- 
ent hypotheses  proposed  to  solve  these  difficulties,  it  may  be  sufficient  to 
state,  that  Dr.  Hales  makes  the  whole  period  from  the  death  of  Joshua  to 
the  death  of  Samson  to  be  400  years,  while  Usher  and  Lightfoot  make  it 
not  far  from  300.  After  all  it  is  doubtful  whether,  from  the  nature  of  the 
book,  it  is  possible  to  adjust  the  narrative  into  a  regular  chronological 
series.  It  appears,  for  the  most  part,  to  have  been  composed  of  loose  his- 
torical memoranda,  having  little  relation  to  each  other,  and  put  together 
by  the  compiler,  like  the  narratives  of  the  Evangelists  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, without  the  least  view  to  a  methodical  arrangement.  Accordingly 
in  our  remarks  on  the  book  we  purposely  leave  all  chronological  ques- 
tions untouched. 

V. — Scope  and  Character. 

The  book  of  Judges  forms  an  important  link  in  the  history  of  the 
Israelites,  and  is  very  properly  inserted  between  the  books  of  Joshua  and 
Samuel,  as  the  Judges  were  the  intermediate  governors  between  Joshua 
and  the  kings  of  Israel.     It  furnishes  a  lively  description  of  a  fluctuating 


186  •      INTRODUCTION. 

and  unsettled  people,  a  striking  picture  of  the  disorders  and  dangers  which 
prevailed  in  a  republic  without  magistracy,  when  '  the  highways  were 
unoccupied,  and  the  travellers  walked  through  by-ways,'  when  few  pro- 
phets arose  to  control  the  people,  and  '  every  one  did  that  which  was  right 
in  his  own  eyes.'  It  exhibits  the  contest  of  true  religion  with  supersti- 
tion;  displays  the  benefits  that  flow  from  the  former;  and  represents  the 
miseries  and  evil  consequences  of  impiety  ;  afibrding,  in  fine,  a  complete 
verification  of  the  warnings  and  predictions  of  Moses,  that  the  children  of 
Israel  should  be  prosperous  or  unfortunate,  according  as  they  obeyed  or 
violated  the  divine  commands.  From  the  scenes  of  discord  and  violence 
which  darken  this  history,  Paul  has  presented  us  with  some  illustrious 
examples  of  faith  in  the  instances  of  Gideon,  Barak,  Samson,  and  Jep- 
thah  ;  and  Dr.  Graves  remarks,  that  '  by  a  superficial  reader,  the  whole 
period  under  the  Judges  may  be  easily  mistaken  for  an  uninterrupted 
series  of  idolatries  and  crimes,  from  his  not  observing  that  the  lapses 
which  incurred  punishment,  and  the  divine  deliverances  which  attended 
repentance,  are  related  so  fully  as  to  occupy  almost  the  whole  narrative  ; 
while  long  periods,  when,  under  the  government  of  the  Judges,  the  people 
followed  God  and  the  land  enjoyed  peace,  are  passed  over  in  a  single 
verse,  as  productive  of  no  events  which  required  a  particular  detail.' 

The  whole  period  is  distinguished  by  a  display  of  extraordinary 
events,  and  by  the  most  glaring  and  miraculous  proofs  of  divine  interpo- 
sition. The  history  of  God's  government  must  necessarily  be  character- 
ised by  the  demonstrations  of  his  immediate  agenc)'';  and  the  selected  in- 
strument of  his  will  may  well  be  expected  to  exhibit  a  succession  of 
unprecedented  exploits.  It  should,  however,  be  observed  that  some  of  the 
actions  here  recorded  were  justifiable  only  on  the  supposition  of  a  divine 
warrant,  which  superseded  all  general  rules  of  conduct.  Without  this, 
the  deeds  of  Ehud,  and  of  Jael,  might  be  pronounced  censurable  for  their 
treachery,  however  commendable  the  motives  by  which  they  were  promp- 
ted. In  respect  too  to  some  other  incidents,  it  is  obvious  that  the  sacred 
writer  by  no  means  vindicates  all  that  he  relates  ;  and  that  the  indiscrim- 
inate massacre  of  the  people  of  Jabesh-Gilead  and  the  rape  of  the  virgins 
at  Shiloh,  stamped  as  they  are  with  the  evident  marks  of  injustice  and 
cruelty,  cannot  possibly  be  justified  on  the  principles  w^hich  the  Scriptures 
elsewhere  furnish.  In  all  such  cases,  and  in  the  recorded  characters  of 
God's  ministers  in  general  who  are  brought  before  us  in  this  book,  we 
perceive  the  traces  of  human  infirmity ;  and  while  we  discriminate  be- 
tween the  lights  and  shades  that  mark  the  picture,  it  cannot  be  question- 
able what  parts  of  their  conduct  ice  are  called  to  imitate  and  what  to 
avoid. 

VI. —  Commentators. 

The  Commentators  upon  this  book  are  for  the  most  part  the  same  as 
those  who  have  undertaken  to  illustrate  the  book  of  Joshua,  and  whom 
the  reader  will  find  enumerated  in  the  Introduction  to  that  book.  Of 
these  the  most  important  are  the  following  : — 

Sebastiani  Schmid  Co?n7nentarius  in  Lihrum  Judlcum,  in 
quo  'prcEter  diligentem  textus  expUcationem,  prcedpucE  quce^stiones 
et  loci  communes,  qiios  vacant,  ad  singula  capita  et  suhjinem  ap- 
pendix chronologica  adduntur.     Argentorati,  1700.  4io. 

Of  the  elder  commentators  it  would  not  be  easy  to  point  out  a  superior  to 
Schmid.    For  accurate  analysis,  for  strict  and  careful  explication  of  words 


INTRODUCTION.  187 

and  phrases,  for  rigid  preciseness  in  fixing  the  connection,  and  for  skill 
in  drawing  out  his  didactic  inferences,  he  is  perhaps  unrivalled.  He  is 
indeed  prone  to  dwell  unduly  upon  trifles,  but  this  was  the  fault  of  the  age, 
rather  than  of  the  man.  His  works  are  a  rich  store-house  of  biblical  ex- 
position, and  the  Commentary  on  Judges  is  the  most  finished  of  his  pro- 
ductions. Walch  says  of  it,  in  his  '  Bibliotheca  Theologica,'  thai  it  is  '  a 
distinguished  work,  at  the  head  of  all  the  commentaries  which  our 
countrymen  have  written.  The  author  treats  every  thing,  both  words 
and  things,  diligently,  learnedly,  and  copiously,  and  whoever  consults 
this  work,  can  easily  dispense  with  all  others.'  Buddeus,  in  his  '  Isagoge,' 
is  equally  decided  in  his  testimony  to  the  merits  of  Schmid  as  a  com- 
mentator. 

NicoLAi  Serarii  Judices  ei  Ruth  explanati,  Moguntias, 
1609.     Fol. 

VicToaiNi  Strigelii  Liher  Judicum,  argumentis  et  scholiis 
illustratus.     Lipsise,  1575,  1586.  8vo. 

Davidis  Chytr^i  in  historiam  Judicum  populi  Israel  diiu- 
cidus  et  perspicuus  commentarius,  cum  inserta  illius  temporis  histo- 
riarum  chronologia,     Francofurti,  1589.     8vo. 

Jo.  Ad  AMI  OsiANDRi  CommentaHus  in  Lihrum  Judicum^  ex- 
hihens  sacrum  cum  exegesi  textum,  lectionum  et  versionum  vari- 
etatem,  conciliatas  antilogias,  chronologiam,  utilium  quoBstionum 
solutiones,  ohjectiones  cum  vindiciis,  ohservationes  philologicas,  et 
locos  communes  doctrinales.     TubingsB,  1682.     Fol. 

'  To^be  enumerated  among  the  best  interpretations  of  this  book.'   Walch. 

Martini  Buceri  Commentarius  in  Lihrum  Judicum.  Par- 
isiis,  1554,  1563.     Fol. 

Petri  Martyri  Commentarius  in  Lihrum  Judicum.  Tiguri, 
1561.     Londini,  1564.     Fol. 

Jacobi  Bonfreri  Commentarius  in  Josuam,  Judices,  et  Ruth 
Parisiis  1631,  1659.     Fol. 

Jo.  Enr.  Grabii  Epistola  ad  clarissm.  vir.  Joannem  Mil- 
Hum,  qua  ostenditur,  Lihri  Judicuin  genuinam  LXX  interpretum 
versionem  earn  esse,  quam  MS.  codex  Alcxandrinus  exhibet ; 
Romanam  autem  editionem,  quod  ad  dictum  librum,  ah  ilia  prorsus 
diversam,  atque  candem  cum  Hesychiano  esse.    Oxonise,  1707.  4to. 

Christ.  Fred.  Schnurrer  R.  Tanchum  Hierosylumitam 
ad  lihros  Vet.  Testamenti  Commentarii  Arahici  Specimen,  una 
cum  annotationihus  ad  aliquot  loca  lihri  Judicum.  Tugingse, 
1791.     4to. 


188  INTRODUCTION. 

Wern.  Carl.  Ludw.  Zieglers  Bemerkungen  uber  das 
Buck  der  Richter  aus  dem  Geist  des  Heldenalters ;  nehst  Beur- 
teilung  der  grieschiscJien  Versionen,  und  Hirer  Ahweichung  vom 
Originaltexl ;  in  Aiictoris  Theologischen  Ahliandlugen,  erster  Band. 
Gotting.  1791.  6vo.  p.  262,  seqq. 

Heinr.  Eberh.  Gottl.  Paultjs  Blicke  in  das  Buck  der 
Richter,  wahr  scheinlich  den  altesten  Rest  anoder  altehelra- 
ischen  Literatur,  in  Auctoris  Theolog.  Exeget,  Conservatoriunii 
P.  II.  (Heidelberg,   1822.)  p.  180.  seqq. 

Gottl.  Ludw.  Studer  das  Buck  der  Richter  grammatisch 
und  historisch  erkldrt.     Bern,  1835.     8vo. 

A  valuable  and  well  digested  work  ;  devoted  principally  to  philological 
illustration,  and.  after  the  German  fashion,  keeping  studiously  clear  of 
every  practical  remark,  and  of  everything  in  fact  beyond  the  bare  letter. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  much  valuable  matter  bearing  upon  the  eluci- 
dation of  different  parts  of  this  book,  will  be  found  in  '  Lowth's  Hebrew 
Poetry,'  '  Green's  Poetical  Parts  of  the  Old  Testament,'  '  Herder's  Spirit 
of  Hebrew  Poetry,'  and  Prof.  Robinson's  Intrepretation  of  Judges,  ch.  5, 
the  Song  of  Deborah  and  Barak,  in  the  '  Biblical  Repertory,'  No.  III. 
June  1831. 


THE    BOOK   OF  JUDGES. 


CHAPTER  r. 
]VrO\V  after  the  death  of  Josh- 
■^      uci  it  came  to  puss,  that  tlie 
children  of    Israel    ''asked    the 
Lord,  saying,  Who  shall  go  up 


a  NuiD.  27.  21. 


CHAPTER  L 

1.  After  Uie  death  of  Joshua.  Hovv' 
long  after  we  have  no  means  oi  de- 
termining ;  probably  not  long,  for 
Othniel,  the  first  judge  after  Josh- 
ua's decease,  had  been  his  contem- 
porar}^,  and  was  in  fact  his  son-in- 
laM'.  ^  Asked  the  Lord.  The 
original  phrase  is  the  usual  one  for 
consulung  the  oracle,  or  inquiring 
by  the  ministry  of  the  high-priesr, 
and  through  the  medium  of  the  Urim 
and  Thummim,  the  will  of  Jehovah 
as  to  the  great  m.atters  of  dury  and 
policy.  As  vce  read  of  no  particu- 
lar person,  who  succeeded  Joshua 
as  commander-^in-chief  of  the  Isra- 
elites, it  is  prob:;ble  that  every  tribe 
Vv^as  governed  by  one  or  more  of  its 
elders  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
that  in  their  wars  with  the  Canaan- 
ites  they  also  were  their  military 
leaders.  As  the  people  were  now 
becoming  more  numerous  and  capa- 
ble of  occupying  a  larger  extent  of 
territory,  they  deemed  it  expedient 
to  renew  the  v.-ar,  bnt  having  no  sin- 
gle head  to  take  the  lead  in  the  en- 
terprise, they  very  properly  sought 
direCLion  from  above  as  to  the 
manner  in  which  the  war  should  be 
Conducted.  It  Avill  be  observed  that 
they  do  not  inquire  what  indivi- 
dual should  be  chosen  as  successor 
to  Joshua  and  commander  of  the 
forces,  but  which  of  the  tribes  shall 
take  the  precedency  in  the  expedi- 
tion. Whether  each  tribe  was  am- 
bitious of  the  honor  or  fearful  of  the 
danger  of  being  first,  it  is  not  possi- 
ble to  determine,  but  by  common 
consent  it  was  resolved  to  refer  the 
17 


for    us   against   the   Canaan ites 
fust  to  fight  against  them  ? 

2  And  the  Lord  said,  '^Judah 
shall  go  up  :  behold,  I  have  de- 
livered  the  land  into  his  hand. 


matier  to  God.  the  proper  arbiter  in 
every  doubtful  case.  Happy  is  it 
for  us  that  we  have  the  same  infal- 
lible source  of  guidance  to  which  to 
apply  in  all  our  perplexities.  IT 
Who  shall  go  uj)  for  us  7  The  com- 
mon term  for  a  military  expedition. 
See  Is.  7.  1.  Jer.  50.  3.  The  phrase 
'  for  us'  puts  the  '  going  up'  in  rela- 
tion to  the  whole  body  of  the  people. 
The  success  of  whatever  tribe  took 
the  lead  would  be  an  earnest  and  as- 
surance of  the  success  of  the  rest  in 
obtaining  complete  possession  of 
their  respective  allotments. 

2.  Jiidak  shall  go  up.  That  is, 
the  tribe  of  Judah,  not  a  person  of 
this  name.  So  in  v.  3,  Simeon 
stands  for  the  tribe  of  Simeon,  and 
so  also  generally  in  the  sequel.  The 
precedency  vs'as  given  to  Judah,  be- 
cause it  was  the  most  numerous, 
pov,-erful,  and  valiant  of  all  the 
tribes  and  that  which  the  Lord  de- 
signed should  possess  the  pre-em- 
inence in  ail  respects,  as  being  the 
one  from  which  ihe  Messiah  was  to 
spring,  and  for  that  reason  crowned 
with  the  '  excellency  of  dignity' 
above  all  its  fellows.  Judah  there- 
fore must  lead  in  this  perilous  en- 
terprise ;  for  God  not  only  appoints 
service  according  to  the  strength 
and  ability  he  has  given,  but '  would 
also  have  the  burden  of  honor  and 
the  burden  of  labor  go  together.' 
Those  who  have  the  precedency  in 
rank,  reputation,  or  influence  should 
always  be  disposed  to  go  before 
others  in  every  good  work,  undis- 
mayed by  danger,  difficulty,  or  ob- 
loquy,   that    they    may    encourage 


190 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1425. 


3  And  Judah  said  unto  Simeon 
his  brother,  Come  up  with  me 
into  my  lot,  that  we  may  fight 
against  the  Canaanites ;  and  •=! 
likewise  will  go  with  thee  into 
thy  lot.  So  Simeon  went  with 
him. 

4  And  Judah  went  up,  and 
the  Lord  delivered  the  Canaan- 
ites and  the  Perizzites  into  their 


others  by  their  example.  IT  Ikave 
delivered  ihe  land  into  his  hand. 
Have  determined  that  he  shall  sub- 
due it.  Not  the  whole  land,  but  the 
land  or  district  destined  for  his  in- 
heritance. This  God  had  so  firmly 
purposed  to  deliver  into  his  hand 
that  it  might  be  considered  as  al- 
ready done,  and  such  assurance  of 
victory  would  naturally  give  cour- 
age for  the  contest. 

3.  Judah  said  unto  Simeon — come 
up  with  me,  &c.  This  proposition 
was  made  to  Simeon  because  these 
tribes  being  descended,  by  their  pro- 
genitors, from  the  same  father  and 
mother,  Jacob  and  Leah,  were  breth- 
ren in  the  strictest  sense,  and  be- 
cause also  the  lot  of  Simeon  fell 
within  that  of  Judah.  This  laid  a 
natural  ground  for  their  union  and 
co-operation  in  the  enterprise.  '  Ob- 
serve here  that  the  strongest  should 
not  despise  but  desire  the  assistance 
even  of  those  that  are  weaker.  It 
becomes  Israelites  to  help  one  ano- 
ther against  Canaanites;  and  all 
Christians,  even  those  of  different 
tribes,  to  strengthen  one  another's 
hands  against  the  common  interests 
of  Satan's  kingdom.'  Heyiry.  Caleb 
was  probably  commander  in  this  war. 

4.  The  Lord  delivered  the  Canaan- 
ites and  the  Perizzites.  Or,  Heb. 
'  the  Canaanite,  et'e/i  the  Perizzite.' 
It  is  not  clear  that  distinct  tribes  are 
intended.  TI  They  sleio  of  them  in 
Bezek,  &c.  That  is,  in  the  city  and 
the  adjacent  territory.  This  city  is 
supposed  to  have  been  in  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  though  there  was  another  I3'- 
ing  to  the  south  of  Beth-shean  (Scy- 


hand  :  and  they  slew  of  them  in 
''Bezek  ten  thousand  men. 

5  And  they  found  Adoni-be- 
zek  in  Bezek  :  and  they  fought 
against  him,  and  they  slew  the 
CanaRnites  and  the  Perizzites. 

6  But  Adoni-bezek  fled  ;  and 
they  pursued  after  him,  and 
caught  him,  and  cut  off  his 
thumbs  and  his  great  toes. 

d  1  Sam.  11.8. 

thopolis)  seven  miles  from  Sichem, 
where  Saul  reviewed  his  army  be- 
fore marching  against  Jabesh-Gile- 
ad.  This  verse  is  to  be  considered 
merely  as  a  brief  compend  of  the 
narrative  which  is  more  fully  ex- 
panded in  V.  5. — 7.  No  feature  of 
the  historical  style  of  the  Scriptures 
is  more  common  than  this. 

5.  And  they  found  Adoni-bezek. 
That  is,  '  loul  or  king  of  Bezek;' 
probably  the  common  title  of  the 
kings  of  that  place.  The  original 
word  j^vv;  found  js  sometimes  used 
to  denote  -fi  hostile  encounter  ;  to  at- 
tack, to  surprise,  and  probably  has 
that  sense  here.  The  first  word  of 
this  verse, '  and'  would  be  better  ren- 
dered '  for'  in  accordance  with  the 
remark  made  above  respecting  the 
drift  of  V.  5.-7. 

6.  Cut  off  his  thumbs  and  his  great 
toes.  Heb.  '  the  thumbs  of  his 
hands  and  of  his  feet.'  Either  by 
express  direction  or  secret  impulse 
from  God,  who  thus  purposed  to 
'  mete  to  him  the  measure  he  had 
meted  to  others.'  *  The  Hindoos 
call  the  thumb  the  rcvia-viril,  the 
great  finger  of  the  hand,  and  the 
large  toe  is  named  the  great  finger 
of  the  foot.  This  punishment  was 
exceedingly  eommon  in  ancient 
times,  and  was  inflicted  principally 
on  those  who  had  committed  some 
flagrant  offence  with  their  hands  and 
their  feet.  Thus,  those  convicted  of 
forgery,  or  numerous  thefts,  had 
their  thumbs  cut  ofl!'.  The  practice 
is  abolished,  but  its  memory  will  re- 
main, as  it  is  now  one  of  the  scare- 
crows of  the  nursery  and  domestic 


A.  C.  1425.] 


CHAPTER  I. 


191 


7  And  Adoni-bezek  said, 
Thrce-score  and  ten  kings,  hav- 
ing their  thumbs  and  their  great 
toes  cut  off,  gathered  their  meal 


life  :  *  If  you  steal  any  more,  I  will 
cut  off  your  thumbs.'  'Let  me 
find  out  the  thief,  and  I  will  soon 
have  his  thumbs.' — Roberts.  The 
loss  of  the  thumbs  would  disable 
them  from  drawing  the  bow  or  hand- 
ling to  advantage  the  sword  or  the 
spear,  and  so  would  in  effect  utterly 
incapacitate  them  for  war.  '  As  to 
the  loss  of  the  great  toes,  independ- 
ently of  the  inconvenience  occa- 
sioned in  the  act  of  running  or  walk- 
ing, the  disabling  effect  to  an  Orien- 
tal is  infinitely  greater  than  to  an 
European.  The  feet  and  toes  are 
much  employed  in  all  the  handicraft 
operations  throughout  the  East,  and 
in  many  cases  the  loss  of  the  great 
toes  would  completely  disqualify  a 
man  from  earning  his  subsistence. 
Besides  the  many  little  active  oper- 
ations which  they  are  tutored  to  ex- 
ecute, the  artisans,  as  they  work 
with  their  hands,  seated  on  the 
g^-ound,  hold  fast  and  manage  all 
their  work  v/ith  their  feet  and  toes, 
in  which  the  great  toes  have  a  very 
prominent  duty  to  perform.  Ward, 
in  his  '  View  of  the  Hindoos,'  has 
fully  shown  to  what  excellent  uses 
the  toes  are  applied  in  India.  '  They 
are  second-hand  fingers ;  they  are 
called  feet-fingers  in  Bengalee.  In 
his  own  house  a  Hindoo  makes  use 
of  them  to  fasten  a  clog  to  his  feet 
by  means  of  a  button,  which  slips 
between  the  two  middle  toes.  The 
tailor,  if  he  does  not  thread  his 
needle,  certainly  twists  his  thread 
with  them.  The  cook  holds  his 
knife  with  his  toes  while  he  cuts 
fish,  vegetables,  &c.  The  joiner, 
the  weaver,  &c.,  could  not  do  with- 
out them  ■,  and  almost  every  native 
has  twenty  diflerent  uses  for  his  toes.' 
Pict.  Bible. 

7.  Three-score  and  ten  kings,  &c. 
Not  perhaps  all  at  one  time,  but 
first  and  last,  during  his  whole  reign. 


under  my  table;  «as  I  have  done, 
so  God  hath  requited  me.  And 
they  brought  him  to  Jerusalem, 
and  there  he  died. 

eLev.  24.  19.     1  Sam.  15.  c 3.    J»m. '^.  13. 

It  would  seem  that  wasting  civil 
wars  had  very  much  prevailed 
among  the  Canaanites  previous  to 
the  arrival  of  the  Israelites,  and  this 
circumstance  probably  tended  to 
facilitate  their  conquests.  '  Judah,' 
says  Lightfoot,  '  in  conquering 
Adoni-bezek  did  in  effect  conquer 
seventy  kings.'  In  the  case  of  this 
cruel  tyrant  we  cannot  fail  to  per- 
ceive the  uncertainty  of  human 
greatness.  The  mighty  potentate  is 
here  reduced  to  the  condition  of  a 
prisoner,  to  the  very  extremity  of 
meanness  and  disgrace;  showing 
that  pre-eminence  in  station  often 
leads  only  to  a  sad  pre-eminence  in 
misery  and  distress.  '  Let  not  the 
highest  be  proud,  nor  the  strongest 
secure,  for  they  know  not  how  low 
they  may  be  brought  before  they  die.' 
Henry.  IF  As  I  have  done,  so  God 
hath  requited  me.  A  striking  ac- 
knowledgment, extorted  from  a 
guilty  conscience,  of  the  retributive 
justice  of  Heaven.  '  When  God's 
judgments  awaken  the  conscience 
we  shall  own  his  righteousness,  and 
stand  self-condemned  before  him, 
HaiL-eis.  What  pretences  he  had 
for  warring  against  these  kings, 
we  know  not;  but  thus  to  insult 
over  the  misfortunes  of  the  van- 
quished, to  maim  their  persons,  and 
compel  them,  like  dogs,  to  gather  up 
the  crumbs  from  under  his  table,  ar- 
gued a  degree  of  cruelty  which  one 
could  scarcely  have  conceived  to 
exist  in  a  rational  being.  As  the 
personal  injuries  he  had  inflicted 
would  of  course  disable  them  from 
harming  him  as  long  as  they  were 
kept  in  bondage,  thus  to  sport  him- 
self in  their  miseries,  was  a  conduct 
of  pure  gratuitous  cruelty,  and  could 
have  proceeded  only  from  the  most 
barbarous  and  brutal  dispositions. 
But  we  have  cause  to  be  humbled 
for  human  nature  that  such  propen= 


192 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1425. 


8  (Now  Hhe  children  of  Ju- 
dah  had  fought  against  Jeru- 
salem,  and  had  taken  it,  and 
smitten  it  with  the  edge  of  the 
sword,  and  set  tlie  city  on  fire.) 

y  H  ?And  afterward  the  chil- 
dren  of  Judah  went  down  to 
fight  against  the  Canaanites  tliat 

fSoe  Josh    n.  t.3.    g  Josh.  10.  35.  &  11   21.  i  13.  13 

sitie.s  still  adhere  to  it.  This  is  evi- 
dent from  the  pleasure  which  child- 
ren ofien  take  in  torturing  insects 
and  animals,  and  in  vexing  and  ty- 
rannizing over  those  v/ho  are  weak- 
er than  themselves — a  disposition 
which  in  after  life  displays  itself  in 
a  fondness  for  despotic  swa)',  in  a 
vindictive  spirit,  and  in  a  career  of 
ruthless  ambition.  But  God  is 
known  by  the  judgments  that  he  ex- 
ecuteth,  and  this  cruel  Canaanite 
was  in  his  turn  made  to  feel  the  an- 
guish which  he  had  so  wantonly  in- 
flicted upon  others.  The  Israelites 
were  led  to  deal  v^ith  him  on  the 
principle  of  their  own  law  of  retal- 
iation, '  an  eye  for  an  eye,  a  tvX)th 
for  a  tooth,'  &c;  although,  as  it 
would  have  been  inconsistent  with 
those  gracious  alfections  which,  as 
the  Lord's  chosen  people,  they  were 
bound  to  exercise,  they  did  not  re- 
duce him  to  the  same  ignominy  or 
insult  over  him  with  the  same  arro- 
gance that  he  had  shown  towards 
others.  Thus  it  is  that  God  some- 
times makes  men's  punishments  to 
correspond  with  their  crimes;  and 
in  this  case,  notwithstanding  all  the 
feelings  of  humanity,  we  cannot  but 
acquiesce  in  the  judgment  that  be- 
fel  him,  or  help  being  conscious  of 
a  secret  satisfaction  that  the  same 
evils  he  had  so  cruelly  inflicted  upon 
others  should  be  brought  home  to 
himself. 

8.  Had  fought  against  Jerusalem 
and  had  taken  it.  This  event,  of 
prior  occurrence,  is  mentioned  here 
to  intimate  how  It  happened  that  they 
were  able  to  convey  the  captive  king 
to  Jerusalem.  It  was  because  thev 
liad  before  taken  that  city,  and  It 


dweh  in  the  mountain,  and  in  the 
south,  and  in  the  valley. 

10  And  Judah  went  against 
the  Canaanites  that  dwelt  in  He- 
bron :  (now  the  name  of  Hebron 
bcf:>re  was  ^Kirjath-arba  :)  and 
they  slew  Sheshai,  and  Ahiman, 
and  Talmai. 

h  Josh.  14.15.  &    5.  13.  li. 


was  now  in  their  possession.  The 
I  reason  of  removing  him  thither  was 
perhaps  to  make  him  a  more  public 
spectacle  of  the  just  judgments  of 
God  against  barbarous  and  blood- 
thirsty tyrants.  But  though  the 
city  is  said  to  have  been  taken,  yet 
the  hill  of  Zion,  as  appears  from  the 
subsequent  history,  was  still  held  by 
the  Jebusites  till  the  time  of  David. 
IT  Set  the  city  cm  fere.  Heb.  '  cast 
the  city  into  the  fire;'  an  inverted 
phraseology,  peculiar  to  the  Hebrew. 
Thus  Ps.  74.  7,  '  They  have  cast  fire 
into  the  sanctuary ;'  Heb.  '  they 
have  cast  thy  sanctuarv  into  the  fire? 
Joel,  3.  18,  'The  hills  shall  flow  with 
rnilk ;'  Heb.  '  milk  shall  flow  with 
hills.'  This  burning  the  city  or  a 
part  of  it,  Avas  probably  in  token  of 
their  detestation  of  the  idolatry 
which  had  been  practised  there. 

9.  Went  down  to  fight,  &c.  That 
is,  descended  to  the  hill-country  1}-- 
mg  south  of  Jerusalem. 

10.  And  Judah  went  doicn  against 
the  Canaanites,  &c.  That  is,  under 
the  conduct  of  Caleb,  as  we  learn 
from  Josh.  15.  14 — 19,  where  sub- 
stantially the  same  account  with  the 
present  occurs.  How  this  has  hap- 
pened, vthetlier  the  writer  of  Judges 
took  this  narrative  from  Joshua,  or 
the  writer  of  Joshua  inserted  his 
from  Judges,  it  is  impossible  to  de- 
termine. That  both  accounts  relate 
the  same  events  there  can  be  no 
doubt,  but  whether  those  events  oc- 
curred before  or  after  the  death  of 
Joshua,  is  a  point  which  we  despair 
of  ever  haA'ing  satisfactoril)'  settled. 
As  the  discussion  of  the  question 
would  encumber  our  pages  with 
matter  of  little  profit  to  the  general 


A.  C.  1444.] 


CHAPTER  I. 


193 


11  iAnd  from  thence  he  went 
against  the  inhabitants  of  Debir  : 
and  the  name  of  Debir  before 
was  Kirjath-sepher : 

12  kAnd  Caleb  said,  He  that 
smiteth  Kirjath-sepher,  and  ta- 
keth  it,  to  him  will  I  give  Ach- 
sah  my  daughter  to  wife. 

13  And  Othniel  the  son  of 
Kenaz,  iCaleb's  younger  broth- 
er, took  it :  and  he  gave  him 
Achsah  his  daughter  to  wife. 

14  -"And    it   came   to 


when  she  came  to  him^  that  she 
moved  him  to  ask  of  her  father 
a  field :  and  she  lighted  from  off 

i  Josh.  15.  15.  k  Josh.  15   16,  17,  1  ch.  3 

m  Josh.  15.18,19. 


reader,  we  waive  it  entirel)'^  without 
offering  an  opinion.  H  Slew  Sheshai. 
and  Ahiman,  and  Talmai.  In  the  par- 
allel passage,  Josh.  15.  14,  Caleb  is 
said  merely  tojh  ave '  driven  out'  these 
sons  of  Anak.  The  probability  is, 
that  the  words  before  us  give  the 
true  sense,  and  that  they  were  actu- 
ally slain.  An  enemy  driven  out 
is  not  necessarily  understood  to  be 
slain,  but  whoever  is  slain  is  virtu- 
ally driven  out,  by  being  expelled 
from  among  the  living. 

11—15.  See  on  Josh.  15.  15—19. 

16.  The  children  of  the  Kenile,  Ho- 
ses' father-in-law.  That  is,  of  Jeth- 
ro;"but  why  he  is  called  the  Kenite 
it  is  not  easy  to  say.  The  probabil- 
ity is,  that  he  inhabited  the  country 
tDccupied  by  a  people  of  this  name. 
Num.  24.  21,  22,  and  on  this  account 
in  process  of  time  came  to  be  distin- 
guished by  the  same  appellation. 
Whether  Jethro  himself  accompani- 
ed Israel  into  Canaan,  according  to 
Moses'  invitation.  Num.  10.  32,  is 
not  clear,  but  that  his  posterity  did 
is  certain.  After  their  arrival,  they 
at  first  pitched  their  tents  near  Jer- 
icho, called  also  '  the  city  of  Palm- 
trees,'  which  lay  in  the  lot  of  Benja- 
min, and  here  remained  during  the 
17* 


her  ass;   and   Caleb  said   unto 
her,  What  wilt  thou  ? 

15  And  she  said  unto  him, 
"Give  me  a  blessing :  for  thou 
hast  given  me  a  south  land  ; 
give  me  also  springs  of  water. 
And  Caleb  gave  her  the  upper 
springs,  and  the  nether  springs. 

16  IT  °And  the  children  of 
the  Kenite,  Moses'  father-in-law, 
went  up  out  Pof  the  city  of  palm- 
trees  with  the  children  of  Judah 
into  the  wilderness  of  Judah, 
which  lieth  in  the  south  of 
lArad  ;  ""and  they  went  and 
dwelt  among  the  people. 

n  Gen.  33.  If.  o  ch.  4.  11,  17.  1  Sam.  15.  6.  1  Chr. 
2.  55.  Jer.  35.  2.  p  Deut.  34.  3.  q  Num.  21.  I. 
r  Num.  10.  32. 

life-time  of  Joshua.  After  his  death, 
for  reasons  now  unknown,  they  uni- 
ted with  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and 
went  with  them  to  attack  Arad.  Af- 
ter the  conquest  of  that  country,  the 
Kenites  established  themselves  there 
and  remained  in  it  mingled  with  the 
Amalekites,  and  leading  a  quiet  life 
remote  from  public  affairs,  till  the 
days  of  Saul.  When  this  king  re- 
ceived a  commandment  from  God  to 
destroy  the  Amalekites,  he  sent  a 
message  to  the  Kenites  to  depart 
from  among  them,  as  God  would  not 
destroy  them  with  that  devoted  peo- 
ple. From  them  descended  Hemath, 
the  father  of  the  house  of  Rechab, 
of  whom  we  have  so  interesting  an 
account,  Jerem.  35.  IT  Arad.  Of 
this  place  see  on  Num.  21.  1.  IT  And 
they  went  and  dwelt,  &c.  That 
is,  the  greatest  part  of  them.  Some 
few  families  were  dispersed  in  other 
places,  as  we  find  the  tent  of  Jael, 
who  was  of  this  stock,  far  to  the 
north,  in  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  when 
Sisera  took  shelter  there,  ch.  4.  17. 
If  Among  the  people.  Heb.  '  that  peo- 
ple;' viz,  the  children  of  Judah  re- 
sident there.  '  They  who  willingly 
share  with  God's  Israel  in  their  suf- 
ferings in  the  wilderness,  shall  share 


194 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1425. 


17  *And  Judah  went  with 
Simeon  his  brother,  and  they 
slew  the  Canaanites  that  inhab- 
ited Zephath,  and  utterly  de- 
stroyed it.  And  the  name  of 
the  city  was  called  'Hormah. 

18  Also  Judah  took  "Gazi 
with  the  coast  thereof,  and  As- 

e  »er.  3.    t  Num.  21.  3.   Josh.  19.  4.  u  Josh.  11.  2?. 

also  with  them  in  the  inheritance 
in  glory.'     Hmoeis. 

17.  And  Judah  v:ent  Kith  Shneon, 
&c.  According  to  previous  com- 
pact, V.  3.  The  thread  of  the  nar- 
rative which  had  been  interrupted 
for  the  purpose  of  introducing  ihe 
foregoing  account  of  Caleb  and  0th- 
niel,  is  here  resumed.  IT  Slew  the 
Canaanites  that  inhabitr.d  Zephath. 
A  valley  called  Zephathah,  is  men- 
tioned 2  Chron.  14.  19,  as  lying  near 
Maresha  in  the  southern  section  of 
Judah,  where  Asa  gained  a  signal 
victory  over  the  Ethiopian  army. 
This  is  probably  the  same  place.  It 
was  now  destroyed  in  pursuance  of 
a  vow  taken  by  Israel  before  the 
death  of  Moses^  Num.  21.  1 — 3,  and 
which  for  some  reason  they  had  de- 
layed to  perform  till  this  time.  This 
seems  likely  from  the  fact  that  the 
same  name,  '  Hormath,'  importing 
'Htter  destruction,  is  there  also  be- 
stowed upon  the  devoted  region, and 
we  can  otherwise  see  no  particular 
reason  for  making  Zephath  an  an- 
athema on  this  occasion.  Arad  ap- 
pears not  to  have  been  so  much  the 
name  of  a  city,  as  of  a  tract  of  coun- 
try embracing  a  number  of  cities,  of 
which  perhaps  Zephath  was  the 
principal. 

18.  Took  Gaza  vilh  the  coast 
thereof.  With  the  adjoining  terri- 
tory thereof;  and  so  in  what  follows. 
Having  conquered  the  south,  they 
turned  their  arms  towards  the  Phi- 
listines' country  in  the  west.  These 
cities  it  is  said  they  *  took,'  but  it  is 
not  said  that  they  slew  the  inhabi- 
tants, as  they  ought  to  have  done. 
They  probably  contented  themselves 
with  making  them  tributary,  and  as 


kelon  with  the  coast  thereof,  and 
Ekron  with  the  coast  thereof! 

19  And  -"^the  Lord  was  with 
Judah  ;  and  he  drave  out  tlie  in- 
habitants of  tiie  mountain  ;  but 
could  not  drive  out  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  valley,  because  they 
had  y  char  lots  of  iron. 

xver.  2.    2  Kings  13.  7.        y  Josh.  17.  16,  18. 


a  consequence  or  their  ill-judged 
lenity,  they  afterwards  recovered 
strength,  expelled  their  invaders, 
and  remained  for  ages  an  almost  in- 
cessant source  of  annoyance  and 
vexation  to  the  Israelites. 

19.  Drave  out  the  inhabitants  of 
the  mountain.  Or,  Heb.  '  possessed 
the  mountain.'  The  idea  of  the  or- 
iginal however  is,  possessing  in  con- 
sequence of  a  previous  expulsion.  If 
the  former  sense  of 'driving  out'  be 
retained,  mountain,  i.  e.  the  moun- 
tainous region,  is  of  course  used  for 
mountaineers,  or  the  inhabitants  of 
the  mountain,  as  the  name  of  a  coun- 
try or  city  often  stands  for  its  occu- 
pants. In  the  parallel  member  of 
the  sentence  immediately  following, 
the  word  '  inhabitants'  is  expressed. 
IT  But  could  not  drive  out,  &c.  That 
is,  Judah  could  not.  The  reason 
why  they  could  not  was  their  unbe- 
lief. Had  they  duly  confided  in 
omnipotence,  the  chariots  of  iron 
would  have  been  no  more  of  an  ob- 
stacle to  them  than  chariots  of  straw. 
But  although  on  a  former  occasion. 
Josh.  11.  4 — 9,  they  had  s^en  how 
complete  was  the  victory  which 
Joshua,  relying  upon  God,  had  ob- 
tained over  these  engines  of  war, 
yet  now  they  weakly  suffer  their 
fears  to  prevail  over  their  faith,  and 
instead  of  trusting  God  tinder  ap- 
parent disadvantages,  they  meanly 
withdraw  their  forces,  when  one 
bold  stroke  would  have  completed 
their  victories.  So  with  believers^, 
when  they  view  outward  difficulties 
with  the  eye  of  sense,  and  forget  the 
almighty  power  of  God  ;  their  hearts 
grow  discouraged ,  their  expectations 
feeble,  and  their  attempts  timid  and 


A.  C.  1425.]  CHAPTER  I. 


195 


20  ^And  they  gave  Hebron 
unto  Caleb,  as  Moses  said  :  and 
he  expelled  thence  the  three  sons 
of  Anak. 

21  »And  the  children  of  Ben- 
jamin  did  not  drive  out  the  Jeb- 
usites  til  at  inhabited  Jerusalem  ; 
but  the  Jebusiles  dwell  with  the 
children  of  Benjamin  in  Jerusa- 
lem unto  this  day. 

X  Num.  14.  24.      Deul.  1.  36.      Josh.  14.  9,  13.  &  15. 
13   14.         a  Sea  Josli.  13.  63.  &  IS.  28. 


wavering  ;  and  then  no  wonder  they 
do  not  prosper,  for  in  proportion  to 
our  faith  will  be  our  vigor,  zeal, 
and  success.  The  Chal.  paraphrast 
renders  the  verse;  'And  the  Word 
of  Jehovah  was  in  the  support  of  the 
house  of  Judah,  and  they  extirpated 
the  inhabitants  of  the  moimtains ; 
but  afterwards,  n-hen  they  sinned, 
they  were  not  able  to  extirpate  the 
inhabitants  of  the  plain-country,  be- 
cause they  had  chariots  of  iron.' 

20.  And  tlwAjgave  Hebron  unto  Ca- 
leb, &c.  We  have  little  doubt  that 
the  true  design  of  inserting  this  verse 
in  this  connection  is  lost  sight  of,  by 
the  present  mode  of  rendering.  Let 
the  verb  be  translated  in  the  pluper- 
fect ten.se,  '  had  given,'  and  the  drift 
is  obvious.  It  is  as  if  the  writer  had 
said,  '  Although  they  had  some  time 
before  given  Hebron  to  Caleb,  and 
he  had  expelled  thence  the  three 
gigantic  sons  of  Anak,  who  were 
deemed  the  mxost  formidable  and  in- 
vincible of  all  the  old  inhabitants  of 
Canaan,  and  though  his  success 
ought  to  have  been  regarded  as  a 
pledge  and  earnest  of  their  own,  let 
the  opposing  power  have  been  what 
it  might,  yet  notwithstanding  this 
precedent,  they  ignobly  failed  in  the 
achievement  of  a  coYiquest  equally 
easy.'  Understood  in  this  sense,  the 
words  instead  of  being  an  unmean- 
ing repetition  of  an  incident  fre- 
quently mentioned  before,  are  in 
fact  a  tacit  but  severe  rebuke  of  the 
cowardice  and  pusillanimity  of  the 
nation. 

21 .  The  children  of  Benjaviin  did 


22  IT  And  the  house  of  Jo- 
seph,  they  also  went  up  against 
Beth-el :  ^and  the  Lord  was 
with  them. 

23  And  the  house  of  Joseph 
•■sent  to  descry  Beth-el.  Now 
the  name  of  the  city  before  loas 
''Luz. 

24  And  the  spies  saw  a  man 
come  forth  out  of  the  city,  and 

b  ver.  13.      c  Josh.  2.  1.  &  7.  2.    eh.  18.  2.     a  Gen. 
28.  19. 


not  drive  out  the  Jebnsitts.  Jerusa- 
lem was  situated  partly  in  the  tribe 
of  Judah,  and  partly  in  that  of  Ben- 
jamin; the  northern  part  belonging 
to  the  latter  tribe,  the  southern  to  the 
former.  This  will  account  for  the 
fact,  that  what  is  here  said  of  Ben- 
jamin, is  in  Josh.  15.  63,  said  of  Ju- 
dah. It  was  owing  to  the  most  cul- 
pable remissness  on  the  part  of  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin  that  these  Jebtt- 
sites  were  not  expelled  from  their 
strong-hold.  As  the  Jebusites  dwelt 
in  Jerusalem  till  the  days  of  David, 
and  the  author  of  this  book  states 
them  to  have  been  in  possession  of 
Jerusalem  when  he  wrote,  therefore 
this  book  was  certainly  written  before 
the  reign  of  David,  or  before  the 
date  of  his  capture  of  that  part  of  the 
city. 

22.  The  house  of  Joseph — 2cent  up. 
That  is,  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  contrary  affirmation 
respecting  Manasseh.  ^  The  Lord 
u-as  ii-ith  them.  Another  mode  of 
saying  that  they  were  eminently  suc- 
cessful in  the  expedition.  The  pre- 
sence of  God  with  us  in  our  conflicts 
is  the  strongest  assurance  of  tri- 
umph. Chal.  '  The  Word  of  the 
Lord  was  their  Helper ;'  i.  e.  Christ. 

23.  Sent  to  descry  Bethel.  Heb. 
'  sent  to  descry,  or  explore  in  Bethel.' 
That  is,  in  the  region  or  tract  im- 
mediately surroundingthe  city  The 
primary  sense  of  the  original  is  to 
make  a  circuit,  especially  with  a 
view  to  spy,  explore,  or  reconnoitre. 
From  this  the  native  import  of  the 
word,  and  from  the  term  made  use 


196 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1425. 


they  said  unto  him,  Show  us,  we 
pray  thee,  the  entrance  into  the 
city,  and  «we  will  show  thee 
mercy. 

25  And  when  he  showed 
them  the  entrance  into  the  city, 
they  smote  the  city  with  the 
edge  of  the  sword  :  but  they  let 
go  the  man  and  all  his  family. 

26  And  the  man  went  into 
the  land  of  the  Hittites,  and 
built  a  city,  and  called  the  name 

e  Jo6ii.2.  12,  H. 


of  in  the  next  verse  to  designate  the 
persons  in  question,  there  is  little 
doubt  that  the  language  implies  the 
constant  employment  of  a  number  of 
persons  in  this  service,  their  being 
appointed  to  keep  steadily  on  the 
watch.  We  cannot  otherwise  ac- 
count for  the  use  of  the  particle  '  in.' 
H  Luz.     See  on  Gen.  28.  19. 

21.  And  the  spies  saw  a  man,  &c. 
Heb.  '  the  guards,  the  watchmen  ;' 
implying  that  there  was  a  stationary 
loatch  placed  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
city  to  observe  its  movements,  to 
note  if  any  came  out,  and  to  appre- 
hend them.  IT  Show  us — the  en- 
trance into  the  city.  Not  the  gate, 
the  common  avenue,  which  there 
could  be  no  difficulty  in  finding,  but 
some  weak  point,  where  an  entrance 
could  be  effected  with  least  danger 
and  difficulty.  IT  We  will  show  thee 
mercy.  This  confirms  the  opinion 
that  the  Israelites  might  spare  the 
lives  of  such  Canaanites  as  either 
submitted  to  become  bondmen  and 
renounced  idolatry,  or  emigrated  in- 
to other  regions,  as  was  the  case 
with  this  individual  and  his  family. 
See  on  Josh.  11.  19. 

25.  And  when  he  showed  them  the  en- 
trance, &c.  We  do  not  feel  prepared 
with  Adam  Clarke  to  pronounce  the 
conduct  of  this  man  '  execrable, 
taken  in  whatever  light  we  choose,' 
without  knowing  more  of  the  real 
motives  by  which  he  was  actuated 
in  giving  the  intelligence  he  did.  It 
is  possible  he  might  have  done  it 


thereof  Luz  :  which  is  the  name 
thereof  unto  this  day. 

27  IT  fNeither  did  Manasseh 
drive  out  the  inhabitants  o/*Beth- 
shean  and  her  towns,  nor  Taan- 
ach  and  her  towns,  nor  the  in- 
habitants of  Dor  and  her  towns, 
nor  the  inhabitants  of  Ibleam  and 
her  towns,  nor  the  inhabitants  of 
Megiddo  and  her  towns  ;  but 
the  Canaanites  would  dwell  in 
that  land. 

f  ;osh.  17.  11,  12,  '.3. 

from  the  conviction  that  '  the  Lord 
Avas  with  them,'  and  that  by  his  gift 
the  land  was  theirs  of  right,  and  then 
the  same  reasons  which  justified  Ra- 
hab  in  entertaining  those  whom  she 
knew  to  be  the  enemies  of  her  coun- 
try, but  the  friends  of  God,  would  jus- 
tify him.  Yet  the  fact  that  he  did  not, 
when  set  at  liberty,  like  Rahab,  unite 
his  interests  with  the  worshippers  of 
Jehovah,  but  retired  to  his  country- 
men in  another  region,  argues 
against  him,  and  leads  us  rather  to 
infer,  that  he  was  influenced  more 
by  fear  than  by  faith  in  acting  the 
part  of,  an  inform.er.  In  that  case 
we  are  not  called  to  pass  judgment 
on  his  conduct  at  all,  but  leave  him 
in  the  hands  of  Him  who  knows  bet- 
ter than  we  do  how  to  discriminate 
between  the  claims  of  allegiance  to 
one's  country  and  of  the  principle  of 
self-preservation. 

26.  Went  into  the  land  of  the  Hit- 
tites. Probably  some  place  without 
the  bounds  of  the  promised  land,  per- 
haps in  Arabia,  where  Josephus 
mentions  a  city  called  lAissa  (Luz). 
Antiq.  B.  14.  ch.  2.  The  man  him- 
self was  perhaps  a  Hittite,  and  to 
perpetuate  the  name  of  his  city,  he 
called  the  new  one,  which  he  now 
founded,  after  the  ancient  name  of 
Bethel. 

27.  Neither  did  Manasseh  drive 
out.  That  is,  possess  by  dispossess- 
ing, the  true  sense  of  the  original,  as 
already  remarked,  v.  19.  On  the 
situation    of  Beth-shean,    and    the 


A.  C.  1425.] 


CHAPTER  I. 


197 


23  And  ii  came  to  pass  when 
Israel  was  strong,  that  they  put 
the  Canaanite??  to  tribute,  and 
did  i]ot  utterly  drive  them  out. 

29  *ir  ^Neither  did  Ephraim 
drive  out  the  Canaanites  that 
dwelt  ill  Gezer  ;  but  the  Ca- 
naanites dwelt  in  Gezer  among 
them. 

30  IT  Nc-ithcr  did  Zebn.lun 
drive  out  the  inhabitants  of  Ki- 
tron,  nor  the  ^-inhabitants  of  Na- 
jialol  ;  but  tlie  Canaanites  dwelt 
among  them,  and  became  tri- 
butaries. 

31  H  i Neither  did  Asher  drive 
out  the~inhabitants  of  Accho,  nor 
tlie  inhabitants  of  Zidon,  nor  of 
Ahlab,  nor  of  Achzib,  nor  of 
Helbah,  nor  of  Aphik,  nor  of 
Rehob  : 


g  Josh.  13.  10.  1  Kings  9.  16. 
19.  •2i—.H). 


h  Josh.  19.  15.  i  Jsli 


Other  towns  recited  here,  see  on 
Josh.  17.  11.  ^  And  he?-  towns.  Heb. 
'and  her  daughters,'  i.  e.  her  de- 
pendent places,  her  adjacent  villages. 
•fT  The  Canaanitesifoxdd dwcllin  that 
land.  On  this  remarkable  and  very 
expre.ssive  phraseology,  see  on  Josh. 
17.  12. 

28.  When  Israel  was  strong,  &c. 
The  fact  of  their  ability  aggravated 
the  crime  of  their  neglect,  and  it  is 
probably  with  a  view  to  intimate 
this;,  that  the  circumstance  of  their 
becoming  strong  is  mentioned.  Thus 
their  sin  prepared  its  own  punish- 
ment, and  the  love  of  present  ease 
became  the  source  of  perpetual  dis- 
quiet in  after  times.  Thus  shall  we 
ever  fare  by  neglecting  present  op- 
portunities, through  sinful  self-in- 
dulgence and  failing  to  bring  under 
our  enemies  when  they  are  in  our 
power.     See  on  Josh.  17.  13, 

29.  The  Canaanites  deceit  among 
them.  Intimating,  perhaps,  that  they 
allowed  them  a  quiet  settlement  and 
indulged  them  the  privileges  of  an 


32  But  the  Asherites  >^dwelt 
amiong  the  Canaanites,  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  land  :  for  they  did 
not  drive  them  out. 

33  IT  iNeither  did  Naphtali 
drive  out  the  inliabitants  of  Beth- 
shemcsh,  nor  the  inhabitants  of 
Bethanath  ;  but  he  ---dwelt  among 
the  Canaanites,  the  inhabitants  of 
the  land  :  nevertheless,  the  inha- 
bitants  of  Beth-shemesh  and  of 
Beth.anath  "became  tributaries 
unto  tliem. 

34  And  the  Amorites  forced 
the  children  of  Dan  into  the 
mountain  :  for  they  would  not 
suffer  them  to  come  down  to  the 
valley  : 

35"^  But  the  Amorites  would 
dwell  in  mount  Heres  °in  Aija- 
lon,  and  in  Sliaalbim  :  yet  the 

k  I's.  106.  34,  3'>.  1  Jo<h.  19  33.  m  v.  3-2.  n  v.  30. 
o  Josh    I'J.  i-2. 

unconquered  people,  not  even  mak- 
ing them  tributary. 

32.  The  Asherites  dwelt  among  the 
Canaanites.  As  it  is  not  usual  to  say 
of  a  larger  number  that  it  dwells 
among  a  smaller,  the  inference  in 
regard  to  Asher  and  Naphtali  is, 
that  they  expelled  comparatively  but 
feio  of  the  Canaanites,  leaving  them 
"in  fact  a  majority  of  the  population. 
With  most  of  the  other  tribes,  the 
case  appears,  for  a  considerable  time 
at  least,  to  have  been  different.  See 
on  ch.  3.  5. 

34.  The  Amorites  forced  the  child- 
ren of  Dan  into  the  mountain.  That 
is,  into  the  mountainous  parts  of 
their  lot.  11  Would  not  suffer  them 
to  come  down  to  the  valley.  To  the 
lower  country,  or  the  plains,  proba- 
bly by  reason  of  their  iron  chariots, 

35.  Would  du^ell  in  mmint  Heres, 
&c.  Not  content  with  the  posses- 
sion of  the  valleys,  they  in  three  in- 
stances at  least  made  themselves  for 
a  while  masters  of  the  mountains, 
bm  this  portion  of  them,  by  the  sea- 


198 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1425. 


hand  of  the  house  of  Josei)h  pre- 
vailed, so  that  they  became  tri- 
butaries. 

36  And  the  coast  of  the 
Amorites  was  rfrom  the  going 
up  to  Akrabbim,  from  the  rock, 
and  upward. 

p  Nam    34.  4.     J..s!..  l".  3. 


sonable  assistance  of  the  descendants 
of  Joseph  were  checked  in  their  pro- 
gress, confined  within  narrower  lim- 
its, and  compelled  to  pay  tribute. 
But  the  Danites  as  a  whole  were 
so  pressed  and  straitened  by  these 
Amoritish  hordes,  that  they  were 
finally  induced  to  enlarge  their  pos- 
sessions by  seeking  new  quarters  in 
a  remote  part  of  the  land,  ch.  18.  1. 
Josh.  19.  47. 

36.  And  the  coast  of  the  Amorites 
^vas,  &c.  That  is,  the  territory,  the 
country  occupied.  The  scope  of  this 
verse  seems  to  be  to  intimate  that 
it  was  not  surprising  that  the  Amo- 
rites were  such  a  formidable  enemy 
to  Israel,  when  it  is  considered  that 
they  were  a  powerful  and  numerous 
race,  inhabiting  a  territory  that  ex- 
tended from  the  southern  limits  of 
Canaan  (Akrabbim,  Josh.  15.  3.) 
and  even  from  beyond  the  city  of  the 
Rock  (Petra),  northwest-ward  as  far 
as  to  Mount  Heres. 

CHAPTER.  II. 

1.  An  angel  of  the  Lord.  As  the 
word  '  angel,'  iri  its  primary  import, 
is  a  term  of  office  equivalent  to  mes- 
sejiger,  the  Jews  for  the  most  part 
are  of  the  opinion  that  it  here  de- 
notes a  prophet  sent  by  God  as  a 
messenger,  and  that  messenger  they 
suppose  to  have  been  Phineas,  the 
high-priest,  who  was  commissioned 
on  this  occasion  to  deliver  the  ensu- 
ing solemn  reproof  to  Israel.  This 
is  indeed  possible,  but  the  more  pro- 
bable opinion  we  take  to  be,  that  it 
was  neither  a  human  prophet  nor  a 
created  angel,  but  the  Son  of  God 
himself,  he  who  is  so  frequently 
styled,  in  the  Scriptures,  the  '  Angel 
of  the  covenant.'    The  evidence  of 


CHAPTER  II. 

A  ND  an  angel  of  the  Lord 
^^  came  up  from  Gilgal  ^to  Bo- 
chim,  and  said,  I  made  you  to 
go  up  out  of  Egypt,  and  have 
brought  you  unto  the  land  which 
I  sware  unto  your  fathers;  and 


this  is  found  in  what  he  immediate- 
ly goes  on  to  say  of  himself ; — '  I 
made  j'ou  to  go  up  out  of  Egypt,  '&c. 
Who  but  Jehovah  himself  could  or 
would  adopt  such  language  as  this  7 
It  was  not  a  creature  that  brought 
the  Israelites  out  of  Egypt ;  but  Je- 
hovah. It  was  not  a  creature  that 
made  a  covenant  with  them ;  but 
Jehovah.  It  was  not  a  creature  to 
whom  they  were  accountable  for 
their  disobedience,  and  whose  dis- 
pleasure they  had  so  much  reason  to 
dread  ;  but  Jehovah.  As  to  the  cir- 
cumstance of  his  being  said  to '  come 
up'  from  Gilgal,  which  is  supposed 
to  militate  against  this  interpreta- 
tion, it  rather  confirms  it;  for  it  was 
in  Gilgal,  near  to  Jericho,  that  this 
same  divine  person  had  appeared  to 
Joshua  as  an  armed  warrior.  That 
he  v/as  Jehovah  cannot  be  doubted, 
because  he  suffered  Joshua  to  wor- 
ship him,  and  even  commanded  him 
to  put  off' his  shoes  from  his  feet,  in- 
asmuch as  the  ground  on  which  he 
stood  was,  by  reason  of  his  presence, 
rendered  holy.  In  his  conversation 
with  Joshua  he  had  called  himself 
the  '  Captain  of  the  Lord's  host,'  and 
therefore  there  was  a  particular  pro- 
priety in  his  appearing  now  to  the 
people,  to  inquire,  Why  they  had  not 
carried  his  orders  into  effect  1  and 
to  threaten  them  that  he  would  fight 
for  them  no  longer.  Besides,  at  Gil- 
gal the  people  had  renewed  the  or- 
dinance of  circumcision  and  the 
passover,  in  which  they  had  conse- 
crated themselves  to  God  afresh,  and 
engaged  to  serve  him  as  his  redeem- 
ed people.  In  coming  therefore  as 
from  Gilgal,  the  Angel  upbraided 
them  with  their  base  ingratitude,  re- 
minded them  of  their  solemn  en- 


A.  C.  1425.] 


CHAPTER  II. 


199 


H  said,  I  will  never  break  my 
covenant  with  you. 

2  Alc]  "^ye  shall  make  no 
league  with  the  inhabitants  of 
this  land  ;  ''ye  shall  throw  down 
their  altars:    'but  yc  have  not 

b  Gen.  17  7.     c  Deul  7  2.      U  Ocut.  12.  3.    e  vcr. 
20.     l*s.  luG.  31. 

gagements,  and  humbled  them  the 
more  for  their  violation  of  them. 
TI  To  Bochim.  Heb.  '  the  weepers.' 
Gr.  K/\auOf!wi/fc,  bewailings  ;  so  called 
by  anticipation  from  the  weeping 
and  lamentation,  v.  8,  that  took  place 
there.  Where  Bochim  was  situated 
we  are  not  elsewhere  informed,  and 
the  probability  is,  that  the  place  was 
in  reality  no  other  than  Shiloh,  where 
the  people  were  now  assembled,  v.  4, 
on  one  of  their  solemn  festivals ;  for  it 
appears,  v.  5,  that  sacrifices  were  of- 
fered on  the  occasion,  and  we  know 
that,  as  a  general  rule,  sacrifices 
were  not  offered  except  w'here  the 
tabernacle  and  altar  were  fixed,  and 
this,  at  the  present  time,  was  at  Shi- 
loh. As  to  the  time  when  the  events 
recorded,  v.  1—11,  took  place,  it  was 
doubtless  subsequent  to  the  death  of 
Joshua,  though  the  precise  date  of 
it  cannot  now  be  ascertained.  If  in 
Joshua's  time  they  had  been  guilty 
of  the  gross  delinquency  here  laid  to 
their  charge,  he  would  hardly  have 
failed  to  reprove  them  for  it,  or  have 
said,  Josh.  23. 8,  that  they  had '  cleav- 
ed unto  the  Lord  their  God  nnto  that 
day.'  The  reason  for  the  mention 
of  Joshua's  dismission  of  the  people 
being  inserted  in  this  immediate  con- 
nection, will  b3  ^iven  in  our  remarks 
on  V.  6.  11  / mid,  1 7fill  never  break 
my  covenant.  Provided  you  are  true 
and  faithful  to  yours.  The  first 
breach  of  covenant  shall  never  be 
laid  to  my  charge. 

2.  Yfc'  shall  ma.ke  no  lea;j:ne,  &c. 
The  letter  of  this  passage  is  too  plain 
to  need  remark,  but  the  spirit  of  it 
in  its  application  to  the  Christian  Is- 
rael, merits  our  most  serious  regard. 
It  teaches  the  danger  of  indecision 
and  supineness  in  prosecuting  our 
Christian  warfare.    The  command 


obeyed  my  voice  :  why  have  ye 
done  this  ? 

3  Wherefore  I  ulso  said,  I 
will  not  drive  them  out  from  be- 
fore you  ;  but  they  shall  be  ^as 
thorns  in  your  sides,  and  stheir 

f;o»h.  23   13.        u  ^''3.  6. 


to  every  follower  of  Christ  is,  to 
make  no  league  with  our  spiritual 
enemies.  Our  corrupt  affections  and 
lusts  are  not  to  be  spared.  It  is  not 
sufficient  to  make  Ihem  pay  tribute ; 
we  must  crucify  and  slay  them  ;  we 
must  show  them  no  mercy ;  our  hat- 
red of  them  must  be  irreconcilable 
and  incessant.  But,  alas !  what  is 
too  often  our  state  1  Do  we  find  in 
ourselves  this  zeal  1  Instead  of  pro- 
ceeding to  the  utter  extirpation  of 
our  spiritual  enemies,  are  we  not  sa- 
tisfied if  they  do  not  reign  1  Are  we 
not  contented  to  let  them  exist,  pro- 
vided they  will  keep  themselves  con- 
cealed from  public  view?  What 
then  is  the  declaration  of  God  con- 
cerning us  1  Does  he  not  ^varn  us 
that  the  evils  which  we  spare  shall 
become  as  thorns  in  our  sides,  and 
prove  a  snare  to  our  souls  1  And  do 
we  not  find  it  in  our  actual  experi- 
ence to  be  sol  Do  not  close  con- 
nections and  sinful  compliances  Avith 
the  world  lead  to  disastrous  inroads 
upon  our  peace  1  Does  not  an  ex- 
cessive devotion  to  the  cares  of  the 
world  hinder  our  upward  course, 
and  give  the  adversary  an  immense 
advantage  over  us  1  And  does  not 
the  harboring  of  any  besetting  sin 
invest  it  with  tenfold  force,  and  often 
pave  the  way  for  our  being  invol-ved 
in  some  flagrant  and  scandalous 
transgression  1  Where  then  is  our 
safety  but  in  perpetual  resistance,  in 
never-ceasing  conflict '? 

3.  \Vh.crefore  I  aha  said.  I  in- 
wardly purposed  and  resolved.  On 
this  sense  of  the  word 'say,' see  on 
ch.  22.  33.  Or,  with  several  of  the 
versions,  it  may  be  rendered  in  the 
present,  '  I  say,  I  declare.'  IT  As 
thorns  in  yonr  sides.  See  Nuta. 
33.  55.  Josh.  23.  13>      IT  Their  gods 


200 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1425. 


gods    shall    be   a    ''snare    unto 
you. 

4  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  spake 
these  words  unto  all  the  children 

h  Ex.  2'.  33.  &  34.  12.       Dcui.  7.  h:.       Pe.  10^.  30. 


shall  be  a  snare  unto  you.  Chald. 
*  their  abominations.'  They  wiJl 
prove  an  enticement  to  yon,  to  en- 
tangle you  in  idolatry  and  so  effect 
your  ruin. 

5.  The  people  lifted  up  Iheir  voice 
and  ivept.  For  a  lime,  at  least,  they 
were  deeply  affected  with  a  sense  of 
their  transgressions.  They  lifted 
up  their  voice  both  in  confession  of 
sin  and  deprecation  of  punishment. 
And  have  we  not  equal  occasion  to 
weep,  whether  we  consider  our  sin 
or  our  punishment  7  Is  not  the  spar- 
ing of  inveterate  lusts  as  wicked  as 
sparing  the  devoted  Canaanites'? 
Does  it  not  betray  an  equal  want  of 
reverence  for  God,  of  love  to  his 
name,  of  zeal  for  his  honor'?  Let 
us  hearJhen  the  v^oice  that  proclaims 
our  duty ;  '  Be  afflicted  and  mourn 
and  weep;  let  your  laughter  be  turn- 
ed into  mourning,  and  your  joy  into 
heaviness;  humble  yourselves  under 
the  mighty  hand  of  "God,  and  he  shall 
lift  you  up.'  But  while  Ave  imitate 
the  humiliation  of  the  Israelites  on 
this  occasion,  let  lis  be  careful  to 
bring  forth  fruits  more  meet  for  re- 
pentance than  did  they  in  their  sub- 
sequent conduct.  For  though  they 
now  showed  signs  of  deep  abase- 
ment and  sorrow  of  spirit,  yet  we  do 
not  tind,  from  the  ensuing  history, 
thai  any  general  or  permanent  re- 
formation took  place  ;  though  they 
now  relented,  they  soon  relapsed, 
and  involved  themselves  afresh  and 
still  more  deeply  in  the  guilt  of  de- 
fection and  idolatry.  '  Many  are 
melted  under  the  word,  that  harden 
again  before  they  are  cast  in  a  new 
mould.'    Henry. 

5.  They  sacrificed,  there  unto  the 
Lord.  They  had  recourse  to  the 
blood  of  sprinkling  for  the  remission 
of  their  sin.  Though  their  weeping 
was  very  general  and  very  bitter,  so 


of  Israel,  that  the  pco»)le  lifled  up 
their  voice,  and  wept. 

5  And  they  called  the  name 
of  that  place  Eociiim  :  and  they 
sacrificed  there  unto  the  Lord. 


much  so  as  to  give  a  name  to  the 
place,  yet  they  did  not  hope  to  pacify 
their    offended     God     Mith    tears. 
They  knew  that  an  atonement  was 
necessary,  and  they  therefore  sought 
him  in  his  appointed  way.     Would 
that  xce  might  learn    from    them ! 
Humiliation  is  necessary,   but    not 
sufficient.     Tears,  even  if  they  were 
to  How  in  rivers,  could  never  wash 
away  sin.     The  blood  of  atonement 
is    indispensable,    without     which 
there  is  no  remission.     Nor  should 
the  fact  be  lost  sight  of  here,  that  the 
sin  laid  to  the  charge  of  Israel  was 
not  of  commission:  but  of  omission; 
not  some  flagrant  enormity,  but  a 
lukewarmness  and  neglect  of  duty. 
Yet  they  saw  their  need  of  a  sacri- 
fice to  atone  for  that.     In  like  man^ 
ner,  though  we  should  have  no  guilt 
imputed  to  us  but  that  of  omission 
and  defect,  yet  must  we  apply  to  the 
blood  of  sprinkling,  and  seek  for 
pardon  through  that  one    sacrifice 
offered  for  us  upon  the  cross.     Fin- 
ally, let  the  transaction  here  record- 
ed teach  us  the  value  of  a  faithful 
'iHonitor.     Yfe  do  not  like  faithful 
admonitions,  even  from  those  whose 
special  duty  it  is  to  reprove   sin. 
We  are  ready  to  account  them  harsh 
and  severe.    But  what  is  the  office 
which  a  friendly  monitor  perforins'? 
Is  it  not  that  which  the  Angel  of  the 
covenant  came  from  heaven  to  exe- 
cute on  this  occasion  1  And  is  it  an 
evil,  is  it  not  a  mercy,  even  at  the 
expense  of  sounding  a  terrible  alarm 
in  the  sinner's  ears,  lo  show  him 
his  guilt  and  danger,  to  rouse  him 
from  his  security,  and  to  urge  him 
to  fly  to  the  only  ark  of  safely  1  Cer- 
tain it  is,  that  "the  congregation  of 
Israel  must  have  felt  themselves  un- 
speakably indebted  to  him  who  thus 
sought  their  welfare ;  and   equally 
sure  are  NV'e  that  there  is  not  a  con* 


A.  C.  1425.] 


CHAPTER  II. 


201 


6  IT  And  when  Joshua  had 
let  the  peopli  go,  the  children 
of  Israel  went  every  man  unto 
his  inheritance  to  possess  the 
land. 

7  ""And  the  people  served  the 
Lord  all  the  days  of  Joshua,  and 
all  the  days  of  the  eiders  that 
out-lived  Joshua,  who  had  seen 
all  the  great  works  of  the  Lord, 
that  he  did  for  Israel. 

8  And  iJoshua  the  son  of 
Nun,  the  servant  of  the  Lord, 
died,  being  an  hundred  and  ten 
years  old. 


trite  sinner  in  the  world  who  will 
not  be  thankful  beyond  expression 
to  that  monitor  who  has  brought 
him  to  weep  here,  and  thus  prevent- 
ed him  from  weeping  and  wailing 
and  gnashing  his  teeth  in  the  regions 
oi  "Woe  for  ever. 

6.  Wfien  Joshua  had  let  the  people 
go.  This  passage,  v.  6 — 9,  has  al- 
ready occurred  in  nearly  the  same 
words  in  Josh.  24.  29 — 31.  It  seems 
to  be  repeated  here  as  a  suitable  pre- 
liminary to  the  ensuing  account  of 
their  degeneracy  and  apostacy. 
The  angel  had  foretold  that  the  Ca- 
naanites  and  their  idols  would  be  a 
snare  to  Israel.  The  writer  is  now 
about  to  show  that  this  prediction 
was  actually  fulfilled,  and  in  order 
to  that  he  turns  back  and  takes  a 
brief  retrospect  of  some  previous  in- 
cidents in  their  history  which,  by 
contrast,  would  set  the  enormity  of 
their  transgressions  in  a  still  more 
striking  point  of  view.  This  is  ac- 
cording to  the  common  usage  of  the 
sacred  writers,  who  in  their  nar- 
rations, go  more  by  the  rclaliov  of 
events  to  each  other,  than  by  their 
strict  chronological  order.  After 
bsing  so  happily  fixed  in  their  sev- 
eral inheritances  and  having  com- 
menced their  settlement  in  Canaan 
under  such  favorable  auspices,  it 
18 


9  '"And  they  buried  him  in 
the  border  of  his  inheritance  in 
"Timnath-heres,  in  the  mount  of 
Ephraim,  on  the  north  sid^  of 
the  hill  Gaash. 

10  And  also  all  that  genera- 
tion were  gathered  unto  their  fa- 
thers :  and  there  arose  another 
generation  after  them,  which 
°knew  not  the  Lord,  nor  yet  the 
works  which  he  had  done  for  Is- 
rael. 

11  IT  And  the  children  of  Is- 
rael  did  evil  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord,  and  served  Baalim  : 


mJosh.  24.  30.  n  Josli  19.  50.  &  24.  30. 
5  2.  I  Sam.  2.  12.  1  Clir.  28.  9  Jer.  9.  3.  . 
Gul.  4.  8.     2  Thess.  I.  8.      Tims  1.  16 


o  Ex- 
Si.  IG. 


greatly  aggravated  their  sin,  that 
they  should  afterwards  have  fallen 
away  from  God,  and  so  grievously 
disappointed  the  promise  which 
their  fair  beginnings  held  out. 

7.  All  the  days  of  the  elders  that 
out-lived  Joshua.  Heb.  '  that  pro- 
longed their  days  after  Joshua.'  As 
these  elders  might  some  of  them 
have  lived  several  years  after  Josh- 
ua's decease,  this  term  should  be  de- 
ducted from  the  whole  period  of  Is- 
rael's idolatries  recorded  in  this 
book. 

9.  Buried  him — in  Tirnnath-heres. 
This  place  is  called,  in  Josh.  24.  30, 
'  Timnath-scmA.'  By  transpo.sing 
the  letters  of  the  last  word,  it  be- 
comes, as  here,  '  Heres,'  which  sig- 
nifies the  sun,  and  it  is  not  improb- 
able, as  the  Jews  imagine,  that  it 
was  so  called  by  reason  of  some 
memorial,  connected  with  his  sepul- 
chre, of  the  sun's  miraculously  stand- 
ing still  at  his  command. 

10.  \Vhi6hkne70  not  the  Lord.  Had 
no  practical  or  experimental  knowl- 
edge of  him  ;  no  deep  or  lively  im- 
pression of  his  goodness ;  no  affec- 
tionate, grateful,  or  devout  sense  of 
the  wondrous  manifestations  of  his 
power  in  their  behalf.  See  on  Ex, 
1.8. 

11.  Served  Baalim.     This  word, 


202 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


12  And  they  p forsook  the 
Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  which 
brought  them  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  and  followed  'bother  gods, 
of  the  gods  of  the  people  that 
were  round  about  them,  and 
>■  bowed  themselves  unto  them, 
and  provoked  the  Lord  to  anger. 

13  And  they  forsook  the 
Lord,  *and  served  Baal  and 
Ashtaroth. 

p  Deur.  31.  16.      q  Dcut.  6.  U.     r  Ex.  20.  5.      s  ch. 
3.  7.  Ai  10.  6.     Ps.  106.  36. 

the  plural  of '  Baal,'  signifies  lords. 
Their  false  gods  the  Canaanites 
considered  as  supernatural  rulers  or 
governors,  each  having  his  peculiar 
district  and  office.  But  when  they 
wished  to  express  a  particular 
'  Baal,'  or  lord,  they  usually  added 
some  distinctive  epithet,  as  Baal- 
zephon,  Baal-^c^r,  Baal-:: ebiib,  &c. 
The  pi.  is  here  used  to  intimate  that 
these  imaginary  deities  were  v^arious, 
and  that  the  worship  of  the  Israel- 
ites, like  that  of  the  Canaanites,  was 
not  confined  to  any  one  of  them. 
Lords  many  and  gods  many  had 
dominion  over  them.  From  this 
verse  onwards  to  the  end  of  the 
chapter,  the  writer's  drift  seems  to 
be  to  give  in  brief  terms  a  summary 
or  compend  of  tlie  whole  book.  It 
is  a  general  and  condensed  state- 
ment of  the  leading  features  of  the 
history  of  Israel,  during  the  period 
of  the  Judges,  which  in  the  ensuing 
chapters  is  expanded  into  the  various 
details  of  oppression  and  deliverance 
which  are  so  briefly  touched  upon 
in  these  verses.  This  is  according 
to  the  common  usage  of  the  sacred 
writers,  and  we  have  no  doubt  that 
the  more  minute  is  the  reader's  in- 
spection of  the  structure  of  the  book, 
the  more  plausible  will  this  view  of 
the  subject  appear. 

12.  And  they  forsook  the  Lord  God. 
Rather,  '  for  they  forsook,'  &c.,  a 
mere  enlargement  in  its  more  mi- 
nute particulars  of  the  general  fact 
Stated  in  the  preceding  verse.  Chald. 


14  H  tAnd  the  anger  of  the 
Lord  was  hot  against  Israel,  and 
he  "delivered  them  into  the 
hands  of  spoilers  that  spoiled 
them,  and  ^he  sold  them  into  the 
hands  of  their  enemies  round 
about,  so  that  they  ycould  not 
any  longer  stand  before  their  en. 
emies. 

15  Whithersoever  they  went 
out,  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was 

t  ch.  3.  S.  Ts  106.40,  41,  42.  u  2  Kingi  17.  20. 
X  ci:.  3.  8.  &  4.  2.  Ps.  44.  12.  .Is.  50.  1.  y  Ley. 
i:6.  37.     Josh.  7.  12,  13. 


'  they  forsook  the  worship  of  the  Lord 
God,'  as  they  that  forsake  the  wor- 
ship of  God,  do  in  efiect  forsake  God 
himself. 

13.  Served  Baal  and  Ashtaroth. 
Ashtaroth,  like  Baalim  above,  is  of 
the  plural  number,  and  is  probably 
here  used  as  a  general  name  for  all 
the  female  deities  of  these  nations, 
as  Baal  or  Baalim  is  of  the  male. 
The  sing.  Ashtereth  (Astarte)is  the 
name  of  the  Syrian  Venus,  who  was 
worshipped  with  the  most  revolting 
and  abominable  riles.  It  is  suppos- 
ed that  the  moon  was  worshipped 
under  this  name,  as  was  the  sun  un- 
der that  of  Baal. 

14,  Into  the  hands  of  spoilers.  Rob- 
bers, marauders,  plundering  parties 
of  the  Canaanites,  who  committed 
depredations  upon  their  cattle,  flocks, 
crops,  &c.  The  word  may  also  be 
understood  in  a  still  fuller  sense  as 
equivalent  to  oppressors,  those  who 
captured  not  their  property  only,  but 
themselves,  reducing  them  to  servi- 
tude, or  at  least  compelling  them  to 
pay  tribute.  IF  Sold  them.  To  sell, 
is  to  alienate  the  possession  of  any 
thing  for  a  valuable  consideration. 
The  term  is  used  in  the  Scriptures, 
however,  without  the  annexed  idea 
of  an  equivalent.  God  is  said  to 
'  sell'  his  disobedient  people,  when 
he  delivers  them  up  into  the  hands  of 
their  enemies  to  be  dealt  with  as  they 
may  see  fit,  when  he  puts  them  out  of 
his  own  hand,  as  it  were,  withholds 
his  protectionj  and  has  nothing  more 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  II. 


203 


against  them  for  evil,  as  the 
Lord  had  said,  and  ^as  the  Lord 
had  sworn  unto  them  :  and  they 
v/ere  greatly  distressed. 

16  ^  Nevertheless  -nhe  Lord 
raised  up  judges,  which  deliv- 
ered them  out  of  the  hand  of 
tliose  that  spoiled  them. 

17  And  yet  they  would  not 
hearken  unto  their  judges,  but 
they  ''went  a  whoring  after  other 
gods,  and  bowed  themselves 
unt>)  them  :  they  turned  quickly 
out  of  the  way  which  their  fa- 
thers   walked    in,    obeying    the 

z  liev.  26.      Deut.28.         a  ch.  3    9,  10,  15.     1  Sam. 
12.  11.     Acts  13.  20.         b  Ex.  34.  15,  16.     Lev.  17.  7. 

to  do  with  them  as  the  objects  of  his 
peculiar  protection.  It  is  a  term 
therefore  emphatically  expressive  of 
the  divine  dereliction,  the  most  fear- 
ful judgment  in  its  consequences 
that  can  befal  a  nation  or  an  individ- 
ual. Comp.  ch.  3.  8.  4.  8.  Deut.  33. 
30.  Ps.  44.  13.  Is.  50.  1. 

15.  Whithc?- soever  they  vjent  out. 
Whatsoever  they  undertook.  Heb. 
'  in  every  thing  to  which  they  went 
forth.'  Not  only  in  their  military 
expeditions  against  their  enemies, 
but  in  whatever  undertaking  they 
engaged  at  home,  they  were  still 
baffled  and  disappointe'd,  and  every 
thing  went  against  them.  The  do- 
ing of  any  kind  of  business  is  fre- 
quently expressed  in  Hebrew  by  the 
phrase  '  going  out'  or  '  coming  in.' 
Thus  Deut.  23.  6,  '  Blessed  shalt 
thou  be  when  thou  comcst  in,  and 
blessed  shalt  thou  be  when  thou  go- 
est  out;'  i.  e.  in  all  thine  undertak- 
ings and  employments,  in  the  whole 
course  and  current  of  thine  affairs. 
Comp.  Ps.  121.  8.  IT  ^5  the  Lord 
had  said,  &c.  Particular  reference 
is  had  to  Lev.  26.  15—17.  Deut.  28. 
25,  where  these  very  judgments  are 
expressly  denounced  against  them 
in  case  they  should  thus  apostatize. 

16,  The  Lord  raised  up  judges. 
That  is,  by  the  secret  prompting  and 


commandments  of  the  Lord  ; 
but  they  did  not  so. 

18  And  when  the  Lord  raised 
them  up  judges,  then  nhe  Lord 
was  with  the  judge,  and  deliv- 
ered them  out  of  the  hand  of 
their  enemies  all  the  days  of  the 
judge :  (''for  it  repented  the 
L(iRD  because  of  their  groanings 
by  reason  of  them  that  oppress- 
ed them  and  vexed  them.) 

19  And  it  came  to  pass, 
^when  the  judge  was  dead,  that 
they  returned,  and  corrupted 
themselves  more  than   their  fa- 

c  Josh.  1.5,  (J  See  Gen.  6.  6.  Deut.  32.  36.  Ps 
106.  .Jl,  45.        e  ch.  3.  12.  &  4.  1.  &  8.  33. 

inspiration,  of  his  spirit,  working 
upon  the  hearts  of  particular  indi- 
viduals in  view  of  the  sufferings  and 
calamities  of  the  people,  and  inciting 
them,  like  Moses  in  Egypt,  to  aim  at 
effecting  their  deliverance.  This  in- 
ward impulse  was  usually,  perhaps 
always,  accompanied  by  an  express 
call  and  command  to  undertake  the 
work,  and  by  some  outward  desig- 
nation which  testified  to  the  people 
the  divine  election;  such  for  the 
most  part  as  the  display  of  some  sig- 
nal act  of  heroism,  the  performance 
of  some  marvellous  or  miraculous 
exploit,  as  in  the  cases  of  Shamgar, 
Gideon,  Samson,  &c.  On  the  im- 
portof  theword  'judges'  inihisbook, 
see  Introduction, 

17.  Woutd  not  hearken  unto  their 
judges.  Would  not  obey  them.  IT 
But  went,  &c.  By  the  covenant  en- 
tered into  at  mount  Sinai,  Ex.  19.  6, 
the  people  of  Israel  were  virtually 
married  unto  God,  so  that  every  in- 
stance of  idolatry  was  a  breach  of 
that  solemn  compact.  The  worship 
of  idols  was  accounted  and  spoken 
of  as  spiritual  adultery,  and  from 
the  nature  of  the  rites  accompany- 
ing these  idolatrous  practices  the 
term  was  often  more  than  metaphor- 
ically proper. 

18,  It  repented  the  Lord.  He  alter- 


204 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


thers,  in  following  otlier  gods  to 
serve  them,  and  to  bow  down 
unto  them  ;  they  ceased  not 
from  their  own  doings,  nor  from 
their  stubborn  way. 

20  H  f  And  the  anger  of  the 
Lord  was  hot  against  Israel ; 
and  he  said,  Because  that  this 
people  hath  ^transgressed  my 
covenant  which  I  commanded 
their  fathers,  and  have  not  heark- 
ened  unto  my  voice  ; 

21  ''I  also  will  not  henceforth 

fver    14.         g  Josh   23    16.         h  Josh   23.  13. 


ed  the  course  of  his  providence,  act- 
ed as  if  he  repented.  See  on  Gen.  6. 
6,  7.  Deut.  32.  36. 

19.  Tliey  ceased  not  from  their 
oian  doings.  Heb.  '  they  "let  nothing 
fall  from  their  doings.'  They  abat- 
ed, they  relaxed  nothing  of  their 
evil  practices.  yi  Nor  from  their 
stiihhom  vxty.  Heb.  'their  hard 
way.'  Hard,  as  proceeding  from  a 
hard  and  perverse  heart ;  hard,  in  the 
sense  of  being  stubbornly  persisted 
in ;  and  hard  or  grievous  in  its  con- 
sequences. It  is  the  term  applied  to 
the  obstinate  and  intractable  conduct 
of  Pharaoh. 

20.  And  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was 
kindled,  &c.  From  this  verse  to  the 
end  of  the  chapter,  the  narrative  is 
probably  to  be  considered  merely  as 
a  repetition  in  substance  of  what  is 
affirmed  by  the  Angel,  v.  1 — 3.  It 
is  a  more  full  and  detailed  statement 
of  the  reasons  for  the  foregoing  ap- 
pearance of  the  divine  messenger, 
threatening  them'with  the  judgments 
of  heaven  for  their  disobedience. 
Nothing  is  more  common  than  such 
transpositions  in  the  order  of  the  in- 
spired record.  The  effect  is  first 
mentioned,  and  the  c«?<.se  afterwards. 

21.  Will  not  henceforth  drive  out, 
&c.  I  will  not  while  you  continue 
in  your  stubborn  way.  The  pro- 
mises of  God  10  expel  the  Canaanites 
were  upon  condition  of  their  obedi- 
ence. 

22.  That  through  them  J niay  prove 


drive  out  any  from  before  them 
of  tiie  nations  which  Joshua  left 
when  he  died  ; 

22  iThat  through  them  I  may 
•-■prove  Israel,  whether  they  will 
keep  the  way  of  the  Lord  to 
walk  therein,  as  their  fathers 
did  keep  it,  or  not. 

23  Therefore  the  Lord  left 
those  nations,  without  driving 
them  out  hastily,  neither  deliv- 
ered he  them  into  the  hand  of 
Joshua. 


ch.  3.1,4. 


k  Deut.  8.2,  16.  &  13.  3. 


Israel.  Not  for  his  own  satisfaction, 
but  that  they  themselves  might  be 
made  better  acquainted  with  the 
plague  of  their  own  hearts,  and  that 
the  righteous  judgments  of  God 
might  ihus  approve  themselves  to 
the  consciences  of  all  who  should 
either  experience,  or  witness,  or 
hear  of  them.  The  Most  High  of- 
ten orders  his  providence  on  the 
principle  of  a  father  or  master  who 
distrusts  the  fidelity  of  his  son  or 
servant,  and  places  them  in  such  cir- 
cumstances that  they  may,  by  their 
good  or  evil  conduct,  justify  his  sus- 
picions, or  give  him  proofs  of  their 
being  groundless.  It  is  implied, 
however,  that  these  nations  in  case 
the  Israelites  stood  not  the  test, 
should  be  not  only  trials  or  ordeals 
to  them,  but  also  scourges  and  instru- 
ments of  %vrath .  TT  As  their  fathers 
did  keep  it.  That  is,  those  who  lived 
in  the  days  of  Joshua,  and  the  elders 
who  overlived  him. 

23.  Therefore  the  Lord  left,  &c. 
Or,  Heb.  '  suffered.'  It  is  not  to  be 
understood  that  there  was  any  abso- 
lute necessity  for  this  delay  in  expell- 
ing the  Canaanites,  but  as  God  fore- 
saio  the  remissness  of  his  people  in 
accomplishing  this  work,  he  saw  fit 
in  his  providence  to  overrule  it  to  a 
wise  and  useful  result.  In  like  man- 
ner he  overrules  the  wickedness  of 
all  the  wicked  in  the  universe,  and 
causes  it  to  redound  to  the  good  of 
the  whole  and  his  own  glory. 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  III. 


205 


CHAPTER  HI. 

IVrOW  these  are  Hhe  nations 
which  the  Lord  left,  to 
prove  Israel  by  them,  [even  as 
many  of  Israel  as  had  not 
known  all  the  wars  of  Canaan  ; 
2  Only  that  the  generations 
of  the  children  of  Israel  might 
know  to  teach  them  war,  at  the 


a  ch.  2.  21,  22. 


CHAPTER  III. 

1.  No7v  these  are  the  nations^  &c. 
The  nations  left  to  prove  the  Israel- 
ites were  the  five  lordships  or  satra- 
pies of  the  Philistines,  who  gave 
them  more  trouble  than  any  of  the 
rest — particularly  in  the  latter  days 
of  the  judges — the  Sidonians,  Ca- 
naan ites,  and  the  Hivites  that  dwelt 
about  Mount  Lebanon.  ^As  many 
— as  had  not  knojuri,  &c.  These 
words  and  those  of  the  ensuing  verse, 
included  together  in  the  parenthesis, 
however  obvious  a  sense  they  seem 
to  present  to  the  English  reader,  are 
by  no  means  so  easy  of  explication 
when  we  turn  to  the  original.  The 
first  and  perhaps  most  natural  im- 
pression as  to  their  meaning  is,  that 
they  are  designed  to  acquaint  us 
with  another  reason  which  God  had 
for  leaving  these  nations  in  the  land, 
beside  that  of  proving  Israel,  viz. 
that  their  posterity  might  not  forget 
military  discipline,  but  keep  them- 
selves habituated  to  those  warlike 
practices  which  would  be  necessary 
for  their  protection.  This  effect 
would  be  secured  by  the  constant 
presence  of  an  enemy,  and  therefore 
God  left  a  remnant  of  the  devoted 
nations  to  prevent  his  people  grow- 
ing rusty,  if  we  may  so  say,  in  the 
use  of  arms.  This  we  are  not  pre- 
pared to  term  an  erroneous  construc- 
tion, but  quite  sure  we  are  that  it  is 
an  inadequate  one.  The  term  '  to 
know,' must  in  fairness  be  interpret- 
ed according  to  its  usual  Scriptural 
import,  which  is  to  have  not  merely 
an  intellectual  but  an  experimental 
knowledge  of  any  thing.  By  those 
therefore  who  'had  not  knoivn  all 
18* 


least  such  as  before  knew  no- 
thing thereof;) 

3  Namely,  'five  lords  of  the 
Phihstines,  and  all  the  Canaan- 
ites,  and  the  Sidonians,  and  the 
Hivites  that  dwelt  in  mount  Le- 
banon, from  mount  Baal-hermon 
unto  the  entering  in  of  Hamath. 

4  'And  they  were  to  prove 


the  wars  of  Canaan,'  we  understand 
those  who  had  not  with  confiding 
faith,  with  lively  zeal,  and  from  a 
prompt  and  grateful  spirit  of  obedi- 
ence, entered  into  and  persevered  in 
those  conflicts  with  the  Canaanites 
which  God  had  enjoined.  As  they 
had  grossly  failed  in  their  duty  in 
this  respect ,  and  had  not  '  known' 
these  wars  as  they  should  have  done, 
their  children,  according  to  the 
righteous  economy  of  Providence, 
were  appointed  to  reap  the  bitter 
fruits  of  their  neglect.  They  were 
to  know  to  their  cost,  to  be  taught  by 
sad  experience,  the  trouble,  vexa-' 
tion,  and  annoyance  that  should 
come  upon  the  successive  genera- 
tions descended  from  those  who,  by 
their  culpable  remissness,  had  so 
righteously  incurred  this  afflictive 
judgment.  This  we  suppose  to  be 
the  true  import  of  the  original,  to 
which  no  translation  can  do  full  jus- 
tice. But  we  may  learn  from  it  that 
the  neglect  of  one  generation  to  dis- 
charge its  appropriate  duties,  never' 
fails  to  burden  their  successors  with 
the  penalty  of  their  remissness. 

3.  Mve  lords.  Five  lordships, 
principalities,  or  satrapies,  as  it  is 
rendered  by  the  Seventy.  See  on 
Josh.  13.  3.  IT  All  the  Canaanites 
andthe  Zidonians,  &c.  Rather,  'all 
the  Canaanites,  even  the  Zidonians,' 
&c.  That  portion  of  the  Canaanites 
seems  to  be  intended  who  are  other- 
wise styled  Phoenicians,  whose  capir 
tal  city  was  Zidon,  so  called  from 
Sidon  the  son  of  Canaan,  Gen.  10. 
15,  and  who  were  never  entirely 
subdued  by  the  Israelites.  IT  From 
mount  Baal-Hermon.       A  part  of 


206 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


Israel  by  them,  to  know  wlieth- 
er  they  would  hearken  unto  the 
commandments  of  the  LoRn, 
which  he  commanded  their  fa- 
thers  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 

5  IT  t^And  the  children  of  Is- 
rael  dwelt  among  the  Canaan, 
ites,  Hittitc'S,  and  Amorites,  and 
Perizzites,  and  Hivites,  and  Jeb- 
usites : 

d  Ps.  106.  35. 


Antilibanus,  lying  near  the  sources 
of  the  Jordan.' 

4.  And  they  roere  to  prove  Israel. 
Heb.  '  and  they  were  made  to  be  for 
a  trial  or  proof  of  Israel ;'  expressive 
not  so  strictly  of  the  design  of  their 
being  left,  which  is  stated  v.  1,  as  of 
the  actual  event.  The  result  corres- 
ponded with  the  divine  prescience 
and  purposes.  '  God  in  his  revealed 
will  had  commanded  (doomed)  the 
Canaanites  to  slaughter,  yet  secretly 
gives  over  Israel  to  a  toleration  of 
some  Canaanites,  for  their  own  pun- 
ishment. He  hath  bidden  us  cleanse 
our  hearts  of  all  our  corruptions ; 
yet  he  will  permit  some  of  these 
thorns  still  in  our  sides  for  exercise, 
for  humiliation.  If  we  could  lay 
violent  hands  on  our  sins,  our  souls 
should  have  peace ;  now  our  indul- 
gence costs  us  many  stripes  and 
many  tears.'  Bp.Hall.  "^i  To  know. 
That  is,  to  make  known,  to  afford  to 
themselves  and  others  experimental 
proof  God  himself  of  course  could 
stand  in  no  need  of  such  a  process 
10  ascertain  the  truth.  See  on  Deut. 
8.2. 

5.  Dwelt  among  Ike  Canaajiites. 
Evidently  implying  that,  contrary  to 
the  command  of  God,  they  suffered 
these  nations  to  remain  a  majority 
-in  point  of  numbers,  as  otherwise 
I  hey  could  not  properly  be  said  to 
dwell  among  theyn.   See  on  ch.  1.  32. 

6.  Took  their  daughters — and  serv- 
ed their  gods.  Chal.  '  worshipped 
their  errors  (idols).'  The  cause  and 
the  effect  brought  into  immediate 
connection,  in  exact  accordance  with 


6  And  nhey  took  their 
daujxhters  to  be  their  wives,  and 
gave  their  daughters  to  their 
sons,  and  served  their  gods. 

7  ^And  the  children  of  Israel 
did  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord, 
and  forgat  the  Lord  their  God, 
&and  served  Baalim,  and  ''the 
groves. 

8  IT  Therefore  the   anger  of 

e  Ex.  34.  16.     Deul.  7.  3.     f  ch.  2.  U.     g  ch.  2.  13. 
h  £x.  :4   13.    Dent.  16.  21.    ch.  6.  25. 


what  had  been  long  before  announc- 
ed, Deut.  7.  3,  4,  '  Neither  shall  thou 
make  marriages  with  them;  thy 
daughter  thou  shalt  not  give  unto 
his  son,  nor  his  daughter  shalt  thou 
take  itnto  thy  son.  For  they  will 
turn  away  thy  son  from  following 
me,  that  they  may  serve  other  gods  ; 
so  will  the  anger  of  the  Lord  be 
kindled,'  &c.  '  In  such  unequal 
matches  there  is  more  reason  to  fear 
that  the  bad  will  corrupt  the  good, 
than  to  hope  the  good  will  reform 
the  bad.'     Henry. 

7.  Served  Baalim  and  the  groves. 
Not  the  groves  themselves,  but  the 
grove-gods,  the  images  or  idols 
which  were  set  up  in  shady  groves 
consecrated  to  their  worship.  Gese- 
nius  however  on  the  original  word 
riT'iTZ^&i  Asheroth,  contends  with 
much  plausibility  that  it  is  a  proper 
name  closely  related  to  Ashtaroth, 
and  signifies  the  statues  of  Astartc, 
the  Syrian  Venus  or  goddess  of  For- 
tune, one  of  the  most  noted  of  the 
Phoenician  deities.  This  is  confirm- 
ed by  nearly  all  the  ancient  ver- 
sions. The  rendering  '  groves'  orig- 
nated  with  the  Greek  Septuagint, 
probably  from  the  fact  of  their  vota- 
ries worshipping  those  images  in 
such  retired  places.  From  this  source 
the  signification  of  groves  has  crept 
into  most  lexicons  and  commen- 
taries of  modern  times.  f\  Forgat 
the  Lord  their  God.  '  In  complais- 
ance to  their  new  relations,  they 
talked  of  nothing  but  Baalim  and 
the  groves,  so  that  by  degrees  they 
lost  the  remembrance  of  the  true 


A.  C.  1403.] 


CHAPTER  III. 


207 


the  Lord  was  hot  against  Israel, 
and  he  'sold  them  into  the  hand 
of ''Chushan-rishathaim  king  of 
Mesopotamia  ;  and  the  children 
of  Israel  served  Chushan-risha- 
thaim  eight  years. 

9  And  when  the  children  of 
Israel  icried  unto  the  Lord,  the 

i  ch.  2.  14.  k  Hah.  3  7.  1  ver.  15.  &  ch.  4  3. 
&  6.  7  &  10.  10.  1  S;ini.  12.  10.  iNeli.  9.  27.  Vs.  22. 
5.  &  IOC.  44.  &  107.  13,  19. 


God ;  and  forgot  that  there  was  such 
a  being,  and  what  obligations  they 
lay  under  to  him.  In  nothing  is  the 
corrupt  memory  of  man  more  treach- 
erous than  in  this,  that  it  is  apt  to 
forget  God;  because  he  is  out  of 
sight,  he  is  out  of  mind ;  and  here 
begins  all  the  wickedness  that  is  in 
the  world;  they  have  ^perverted 
their  way,'  for  they  have  '  forgotten 
the  Lord  their  God.'     Henry. 

8.  Sold  them  into  the  hand.  Deli- 
vered them  into  the  hand.  See  this 
phrase  explained,  ch.  2.  14. 

9.  Chushan-rishathaim.  Render- 
ed by  most  of  the  ancient  versions 
Chushan,  the  wicked  or  impious ;  pro- 
perly the  doubly,  i.  e.  pre-eminently 
icicked.  The  grounds  of  the  appel- 
lation, supposing  this  to  be  correct, 
it  is  now  impossible  to  determine. 
^Mesopotamia.  Heb.  Aram-Naha- 
rai7?i,  Syria  of  the  two  rivers,  i.  e.  the 
country  lying  between  the  rivers 
Tigris  and  Euphrates,  thence  called 
Mesopotamia,  which  signifies  the 
midst  of  rivers.  See  on  Gen.  24.  10. 
It  is  now  called  Diarbek.  IT  Served. 
This  servitude,  as  applied  to  the 
state  of  subjection  to  which  the  Is- 
raelites were  oftentimes  reduced, 
must  be  understood  with  some  vari- 
ation of  meaning  according  to  cir- 
cumstances ;  but  generally  it  signi- 
fies the  obligation  to  pay  tribute  and 
make  presents  to  the  conqueror. 
That  they  were  oblfged  to  render 
personal  or  military  service  does 
not  appear  from  the  Scriptures ;  but 
that  they  were  sometimes  subject  to 
the  most  severe  and  cruel  treatment 
is  obvious  from  the  whole  history. 


Lord  "^ raised  up  a  deliverer  to 
the  children  of  Israel,  who  de- 
livered them,  even  'Othniel  the 
son  of  Kenaz,  Caleb's  younger 
brother. 

10  And  °the  spirit  of  the 
Lord  came  upon  him,  and  he 
judged  Israel,  and  went  out  to 

in  ch.  2.  15.  n  ch.  1.  13.  o  .=;ee  Num.  27.  18. 

ch.fi,  31.  4  U.  29.  i  13.25.  &  11.6,19.  1  Sara.  11. 
6.    2  Chr.  15.  1. 

It  is  very  probable,  that  their  subjec- 
tion to  this  distant  king  was  more 
favorable  than  to  the  immediately 
neighboring  nations,  and  even  to 
nations  dwelling  in  the  same  land 
with  themselves,  to  which  they  were 
afterwards  reduced. 

9.  IJ'lien  the  children ,  of  Israel 
cried.  When  they  uttered  fervent 
prayers  coupled  with  penitent  con- 
fessions of  their  faults,^as  is  to  be  in- 
ferred from  ch.  10.  10,  and  15.  IG. 
IT  Raised  up  a  deliverer.  Heb.  '  a 
saviour.'  So  afterwards,  '  v.dio  de- 
livered,' Heb,  '  and  saved;'  which  is 
more  properly  we  think  to  be  refer- 
red to  God  than  to  Othniel.  God 
saved  or  delivered  them  by  Othniel. 
'  Saviour,'  in  this  connection,  is  but 
another  name  for  the  'judges,'  who 
were  raised  up  from  time  to  time  for 
the  deliverance  of  Israel.  Comp. 
2  Kings  13.  5.  Neh.  9.  27.  The 
original  for  '  raised  up,'  properly 
signifies  stirred  up,  excited, prompted, 
in  consequence  of  a  special  divine 
influence  exerted  upon  the  indivi- 
dual. The  phrase  is  in  fact  explain- 
ed by  the  terms  employed  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  next  verse.  TF  Oth- 
niel the  son  of  Kennz.  Of  whom  see 
Josh.  15.  16,  and  Judg.  1.  13.  He 
had  already  signalized  his  A^alor  in 
the  taking  of  Kirjath-sepher  and  by 
his  experience  in  war,  and  the  re- 
putation he  had  gained  with  his 
countrymen,  was  "peculiarly  qua- 
lified to  lead  them  successfully 
against  their  oppressors. 

10.  The  spirit  of  the  Lord  came 
upon  him.  Heb.  '  was,  or  was  made 
to  be,  upon  him.'    A  common  ex- 


208 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


war  :  and  the  Lord  delivered 
Chushan-rishalhaim  king  of  Mes- 
opotamia into  his  hand;  and 
his  hand  prevailed  against  Chu- 
shan-rishathaim. 

11  And  the  land  had  rest 
forty  years  :  and  Othniel  the  son 
of  Kenaz  died. 


pression  for  one's  being  moved,  act- 
ed upon,  and  impelled  by  supernatu- 
ral influence  to  perform  some  extra- 
ordinary exploit,  or  to  take  the  lead 
in  some  great  and  important  enter- 
prise. Chald. '  the  spirit  of  prophecy 
remained  upon  him.'  The  expres- 
sion implies  that  he  was  endowed 
with  singular  wisdom,  fortitude  and 
valor  adapting  him  to  the  work  to 
which  he  was  called.  IT  He  judged 
Israel.  That  is,  he  not  only  assum- 
ed the  office  of  chief  magistrate  and 
entered  upon  the  work  of  reforming 
their  manners,  repressing  idolatry, 
administering  justice,  and  reviving 
religion,  but  also,  as  appears  from 
the  ensuing  clause,  put  himself  at 
the  head  of  their  forces,  and  in  this 
capacity  pleaded  and  avenged  the 
cause  of  Israel  against  their  oppres- 
sers.  Thus  the  term  is  employed 
Ps.  43.  1,  'Judge  me,  O  God,  and 
plead  my  cause  against  an  ungodly 
nation :'  i.  e.  judge  me  by  pleading 
my  cause,  by  vindicating  me  from 
the  aspersions  and  delivering  me 
from  persecutions  of  my  enemies. 
Comp.  Deut.  32.  36.    Ps.  10.  18. 

11.  The  land  )iad  rest  forty  years. 
Enjoyed  prevailing  peace,  was  ex- 
empt from  tribute,  and  was  in  every 
respect  in  a  tranquil  and  flourishing 
state,  during  that  period.  The  forty 
years  are  perhaps  to  ba  dated  from 
Othniel's  being  raised  up  to  judge 
Israel.  ^  And  Othniel — died.  '  Oth- 
niel had  rescued  Israel  from  idolatry 
and  servitude;  his  life  and  their  in- 
nocence and  peace  ended  together. 
How  powerful  the  presence  of  one 
good  man  is  in  a  church  or  state,  is 
best  found  in  his  loss.'  Bp.  Hall. 
An  attentive    examination    of   the 


12  H  pAnd  the  children  of  Is- 
rael did  evil  again  in  the  sight 
of  the  Lord  :  and  the  Lord 
strengthened  'lEglon  the  king  of 
Moab  against  Israel,  because 
they  had  done  evil  in  the  sight 
of  the  Lord. 

13  And  he  gathered  unto  him 

p  ch.2    19.         q  I  S.im.  12.  9. 


chronology  of  .this  book,  makes  it  all 
but  absolutely  certain  that  it  is  some- 
where near  to  this  period  that  we 
are  to  refer  the  idolatry  of  the  Dan- 
ites  and  the  war  with  the  Benjamites, 
mentioned  ch.  17 — 21.  Though,  for 
the  reasons  stated  in  our  Introduc- 
tion, thrown  together  at  the  end 
of  the  book,  yet  the  events  no 
doubt  took  place  either  under  or  be- 
fore Othniel's  administration,  who, 
though  a  judge,  was  not,  as  Henry 
remarks,  such  a  king  in  Israel  as  to 
keep  men  from  doing  what  was 
'  right  in  their  own  eyes.' 

12.  The  Lord  strengthened  Eglon. 
Allowed  him  to  become  strong,  suf- 
fered his  providence  to  take  such  a 
course  as  would  result  in  his  becom- 
ing too  powerful  for  the  Israelites. 
It  was  not  by  positive  agency,  but  by 
sovereign  permission,  that  this  re- 
sult took  place.  The  course  of  God's 
providence  often  favors  the  designs 
of  his  enemies,  and  they  take  advan- 
tage of  it,  while  the  effect,  in  Scrip- 
ture style,  is  attributed  to  God  him- 
self; but  it  is  only  as  we  should  say 
that  God  delivered  a  vessel,  with  all 
on  board,  into  the  hands  of  a  pirate, 
because  he  caused  the  Avind  to  blow 
in  a  particular  direction,  of  which 
the  pirate,  took  advantage,  and  cap- 
tured the  vessel.  The  phraseology 
is  liable  to  no  just  objection  when 
rightly  understood,  and  affords  a 
clue  to  the  explanation  of  hundreds 
of  passages  in  the  sacred  volume. 
'  Rather  than  Israel  shall  want  a 
scourge  for  their  sin,  God  himself 
shall  raise  them  up  an  enemy.  Mo- 
ab had  no  quarrel  but  his  own  ambi- 
tion ;  but  God  meant  by  the  ambition 
of  the  one  party,  to  punish  the  am- 


A.  C.  1406.] 

the  children  of  Ammon  and 
■■Amalek,  and  went  and  smote 
Israel,  and  possessed  nhe  city  of 
palm-trees. 

14  So  the  children  of  Israel 


CHAPTER  III. 


209 


bition  of  the  other  ;  his  justice  can 
make  one  sin  the  executioner  of  an- 
other, while  neither  shall  look  for 
any  measure  from  him  but  judg- 
ment.'   Bp  Hall. 

13.  And  he  gathered.  That  is, 
God  gathered ;  in  the  sense  above 
explained.  He  gathered,  by  allow- 
ing Eglon  to  gather,  the  forces  of 
these  neighboring  tribes,  who  were 
predisposed  by  ancient  enmity  to  en- 
ter into  the  alliance.  IT  Possessed 
the  city  of  palm-trees.  Jericho,  or 
rather  the  site  of  Jericho,  with  the 
adjacent  territory,  as  the  city  itself 
was  in  ruins.  On  this  site,  Eglon 
probably  pitched  his  camp,  erected 
fortifications,  and,  if  Josephus  be 
correct,  fixed  here  his  residence. 
His  object  was  undoubtedly  to  obtain 
command  of  the  fords  of  the  Jordan, 
which  would  not  only  open  to  him 
a  free  communication  with  the  land 
of  Moab,  but  prevent  also  the  tribes 
on  the  east  and  the  west  of  the  river 
forming  a  junction  of  forces.  Ac- 
cordingly the  first  step  taken  by 
Ehud,  when  assured  of  victory,  v.  28, 
was  to  take  possession  of  these  fords, 
and  thus  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the 
enemy. 

14.  The  children  of  Israel  served 
Eglon  eighteen  years.  '  Israel  seems 
as  born  to  servitude  ;  they  came  from 
their  bondage  in  the  land  of  Egypt, 
to  serve  in  the  land  of  promise. 
They  had  neglected  God,  now  they 
were  neglected  of  God  ;  their  sins 
had  made  them  servants,  whom  the 
choice  of  God  had  made  free,  yea, 
his  first-born.  Worthy  are  they  to 
serve  those  men  whose  false  gods 
they  had  served  ;  and  to  serve  them 
always  in  thraldom,  whom  they 
have  once  served  in  idolatry.  We 
may  not  measure  the  continuance 
of  punishment  by  the  time  of  the 
commission  of  sin  ;  one  minute's  sin 


^served  Eglon  the  king  of  Moab 
eighteen  years. 

15  But  when  the  children  of 
Israel  "cried  unto  the  Lord,  the 
Lord   raised  them  up  a  deliv- 


t  Deir.  ^8.  40. 


u  ver.  9.    Ps.  78.  34. 


deserves  a  torment  beyond  all  time.' 
Bp.  Hall. 

15.  Cried  unto  the  Lord.  With 
strong  and  earnest  supplications. 
'  Doubtless  Israel  was  not  so  insen- 
sible of  their  own  misery,  as  not  to 
complain  sooner  than  the  end  of 
eighteen  years.  The  first  hour  they 
sighed  for  themselves,  but  now  they 
cried  unto  God.  The  very  purpose 
of  affliction  is  to  make  us  importu- 
nate ;  he  hears  the  secret  murmurs 
of  our  grief,  yet  will  not  seem  to 
hear  us,  till  our  cries  be  loud  and 
strong.  God  sees  it  best  for  the  peni- 
tent to  dwell  for  the  time  under  their 
sorrows  ;  he  sees  us  sinking  all  the 
while,  yet  he  lets  us  alone  till  we  be 
at  the  bottom;  and  when  once  we 
can  say,  '  Out  of  the  depths  have  I 
cried  unto  thee,'  instantly  follows, 
'  The  Lord  heard  me.'  A  vehement 
suitor  cannot  but  be  heard  of  God, 
whatsoever  he  asks.  If  our  prayers 
want  success,  they  want  heart ;  their 
blessing  is  according  to  their  vigor.' 
Bp.  Hall.  H  A  man  left-handed. 

Heb.  'a  man  shut  or  obstructed  of 
his  right  hand ;'  i.  e.  not  able  readily 
to  use  it.  Chal.  'contracted  or  im- 
peded in  his  right  hand.'  Syr.  '  a 
man  whose  right  hand  was  torpid.' 
The  Septuagint  renders  it  an  ambi- 
dexter^ i.  e.  one  who  could  use  both 
hands  alike;  from  which  the  Vul- 
gate, '  who  could  use  either  hand  as 
aright  hand,'  for  neither  of  which 
is  there  any  authority  in  the  orignal. 
The  true  import  of  the  Heb.  un- 
doubtedly is,  that  through  disease, 
injury,  or  some  other  infirmity,  he 
made  little  or  no  use  of  his  right 
hand,  but  employed  his  left  only,  a 
circumstance  which  would  seem  to 
render  him  less  fit  for  w-ar,  as  he 
must  necessarily  use  his  sword  some- 
what awkwardly.  '  Yet  God  chose 
this  left-handed  man  to  be  the  man 


210 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1336 


erer,  Ehud  the  son  of  Gera,  a 
Benjamite,  a  man  left-handed  : 
and  by  him  the  children  of  Is- 
rael sent  a  present  lUito  Eglon 
the  king  of  Moab. 

16  But  Ehud  made  him  a 
dagger  which  had  two  edges,  of 
a  cubit  length  ;  and  he  did  gird 
it  under  his  raiment  upon  ijis 
ri^ht  thifjh. 


of  his  right  hand,  whom  he  would 
'make  strong  for  himself.'  It  was 
God's  right  hand  that  gained  Israel 
the  victory,  (Ps.  44.  3,)  not  the  right 
hand  of  the  instruments  he  employ- 
ed.' Henry.  It  is  remarkable  that 
although  the  name  '  Benjamin,'  sig- 
nifies the  son  of  the  right  hand,  yet 
as  appears,  from  eh.  20.  16,  multi- 
titudes  of  this  tribe  were  from  some 
cause  or  other  left-handed;  so  far 
are  men's  characters  oftentimes  from 
corresponding  with  their  names.  H 
Sent  a  present.  Either  the  tribute- 
money  which  Eglon  had  imposed  up- 
on the  Israelites,  or  a  gratuity  over 
and  above  their  ordinary  tribute, 
sent  to  conciliate  the  favor  of  the 
lord  of  Moab,  their  present  master. 
The  former  we  suppose  to  be  the 
most  probable  interpretation,  as  the 
original,  Mincha,  repeatedly  occurs 
in  this  sense.  Similar  exactions  on 
the  part  of  the  despotic  rulers  of  the 
East  continue  to  be  levied  upon  sub- 
ject provinces  to  the  present  day, 
and  it  is  well  known  that  their  exor- 
bitant demands  of  this  kind  are 
among  the  principal  causes  of  the 
impoverished  state  of  the  oriental 
nations,  and  of  the  frequent  insur- 
rections that  occur  among  them.  It 
is  possible  that  Eglon 's  oppressions 
in  this  way  had  become  so  grievous 
to  the  Israelites,  that  they  could  bear 
them  no  longer,  and  accordingly  in 
their  distress  groaned  out  to  God  for 
deliverance. 

16.  Ehudmade him  a  dagger.  Caus- 
ed to  be  made-,  just  as  Joshua,  ch.  5. 
3,  is  said  to  have  '  made  him  sharp 
knives,'  that  is,  by  the  ministry  of 


17  And  he  brought  the  pre- 
senfunto  Eglon  king  of  r*,Ioab  : 
and  Eglon  2cas  a  very  fat  man. 

18  And  when  he  had  made 
an  end  to  offer  the  present,  he 
sent  away  the  people  that  bare 
the  present. 

19  But  he  himself  turned 
again  ^from  the  quarries  that 
icere  by  Gilgal,  and  said,  I  have 


others.  ^Of  a  citbit  length.  The 
original  word  (1)33  gomed)  here 
rendered  ciibit,  is  of  very  doubtful 
signification.  As  the  kindred  root  in 
Chald.  has  the  import  of  contracted, 
Michaelis  suggests  that  it  probably 
means  an  instrument  made  shorter 
than  usual  for  the  purpose  intended. 
The  Sept.  renders  it  '  of  a  span 
length,'  and  most  of  the  versions  un- 
derstand it  in  the  same  sense.  A 
Jewish  cubit  is  nearly  two  feet ;  a 
span  is  about  eight  inches,  a  much 
more  convenient  length  for  a  poni- 
ard or  stileuo,  which  would  un- 
doubtedly have  been  the  modern 
name  of  Ehud's  instrument.  %  Up- 
on his  right  thigh.  Whence  it  could 
be  more"  easily  drawn  forth  by  his 
left  hand. 

18.  Made  an  end  to  offer.  When 
he  had  ended  all  the  ceremonies 
which  in  those  days  were  customary 
in  presenting  gifts  to  great  men. 
IT  The  people  that  bare  the  present.  A 
considerable  number  of  persons 
seems  to  have  been  employed  on  this 
occasion,  not  so  much  because  the 
quantity  or  variety  of  the  presents 
required  it,  as  for  the  sake  of  eti- 
quette and  a  somewhat  pompous  dis- 
play. The  Orientals  habitually  af- 
fect a  great  parade  in  presenting 
their  gifts,  especially  to  persons  of 
power  and  distinction.  '  Through 
ostentation,'  says  Maillet,  '  they 
never  fail  to  load  upon  four  or  five 
horses  what  might  easily  be  carried 
on  one.  In  like  manner  as  to  jew- 
els, trinkets,  and  other  things  of 
value,  they  place  in  fifteen  dishes, 
what  a  single  plate  would  very  well 


A.  C.  1330.] 


CHAPTER  III. 


211 


a  secret  errand  unto  thee,  O 
king  :  who  said,  Keep  silencj. 
And  all  that  stood  by  him  went 
out  from  him. 

hold.'  It  appears  evident  from  the 
next  verse  that  Ehud  accompanied 
this  party  some  distance  on  their 
way  homewards  and  then  returned 
himself  alone  to  execute,  without 
accomplices,  the  deed  which  he 
meditated,  and  to  which  he  was  pro- 
bably impelled  by  a  divine  prompt- 
ing. 

19.  From  the  quarries.  Heb. 
t'^bOS  pesilim,  from  the  root  ^dq  to 
cut  out,  or  carve,  as  a  sculptor, 
whence  several  of  the  ancient  ver- 
sions understand  the  word  of  idols 
or  graven  images,  by  which  it  is 
generally  rendered.  It  was  perhaps 
the  place  where  idolatrous  statues 
of  stone  were  cut  out  of  the  quarry 
and  erected  as  objects  of  worship  by 
the  Moabites.  This  might  have 
been  done  in  contempt  of  the  reli- 
gion and  worship  of  the  Israelites, 
and  the  sight  of  them  may  have 
stirred  up  afresh  the  pious  indigna- 
tion of  Ehud,  and  animated  him 
with  new  zeal  to  accomplish  the 
work  upon  which  he  was  intent. 
11  /  have  a  secret  errand.  Heb.  '  a 
word  or  thing  of  concealment,  of 
secrecy.'  IT  IVho  said,  Keep  silence. 
This  is  generally  understood  as 
addressed  to  Ehud,  intimating  that 
he  was  to  keep  silent,  and  not  de- 
clare his  message  till  the  king's  at- 
tendants had  withdrawn.  But  a 
preferable  sense  we  think  is  that 
given  by  Geddes  in  his  translation, 
'  The  king  said.  Privacy  !'  which 
was  equivalent  to  a  command  to  his 
servants  to  leave  the  room.  This  is 
confirmed  by  the  Chal.,  Syr.,  and 
Arab,  versions,  and  also  by  the  con- 
nection, as  the  next  clause  evi- 
dently expresses  the  performance  of 
a  command. 

20.  Silting  in  a  summer  parlor. 
Heb.  '  in  an  upper  room  or  chamber 
of  cooling.'  The  extreme  heat  of 
the  climate  olSliged  the  Orientals  to 
adopt  various  devices  for  ventilating 


20  And  Ehud  came  unto 
him  ;  and  he  was  sitting  in  a 
summer-parlor,  which  he  had 
for    himself  alone :    and   Ehud 


and  cooling  their  apartments.  For 
this  purpose  they  made  their  doors 
large,  and  their  chambers  spacious  ; 
but  they  soon  found  that  such  simple 
contrivances  were  insufficient  and 
that  other  methods  of  cooling  their 
habitations  were  necessary.  At 
Aleppo,  according  to  Russel,  this 
was  effected  by  means  of  kiosks, 
which  are  a  sort  of  wooden  divans 
or  stages,  which  project  a  little  way 
from  their  other  buildings,  and  hang 
over  the  street.  They  are  raised 
about  a  foot  and  a  half  higher  than 
the  floor  of  the  room,  to  which  they 
are  quite  open,  and  by  having  win- 
dows in  front  and  on  each  side,  a 
great  draught  of  air  is  produced, 
causing  a  refreshing  coolness  in  the 
sultry  heat  of  summer.  Another 
method  of  compassing  the  same  end 
is  by  ventilators.  The  houses  in 
Persia  are  ventilated  by  means  of  a 
triangular  building  which  rises  far 
above  the  terrace  roof,  and  is  open 
at  top,  so  as  to  receive  the  wind  in 
whatever  direction  it  blows.  The 
summer  parlor  of  Eglon  was  un- 
doubtedly cooled  by  some  of  the.se 
contrivances,  which  proves  that  ex- 
pedients for  mitigating  the  extreme 
heat  of  the  climate  are  of  very  great 
antiquity.  II  Which  he  had  for 
himself  alone.  Into  which  he  went 
when  he  wished  to  be  retired,  and  so 
better  adapted  to  hearing  a  secret 
message.  The  circumstance  is  pro- 
bably mentioned  here  by  way  of  ac- 
counting for  his  servants'  waiting  so 
long,  V.  23,  before  going  in  to  him. 
From  a  circumstance  mentioned  by 
Mr.  Bruce,  it  appears  that  Ehud 
acted  in  strict  conformity  to  the  cus- 
toms of  the  time  and  place,  so  that 
neither  the  suspicion  of  the  king  nor 
his  attendants  should  be  excited  by 
his  conditct.  It  was  usual  for  the 
attendants  to  retire  when  secret  mes- 
sages were  to  be  delivered.  '  I 
drank  a  dish  of  coffee/  says  he,  'and 


212 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1336. 


said,  I  have  a  message  from  God 
unto  thee.  And  he  arose  out  of 
his  seat. 

21  And  Ehud   put  forth   his 


told  hira,  that  I  was  a  bearer  of  a 
confidential  message  from  Ali  Bey 
of  Cairo,  and  wished  to  deliver  it  to 
him  without  witnesses,  whenever  he 
pleased.  The  room  was  accord- 
ingly cleared  without  delay,  except- 
ing his  secretary,  who  was  also  go- 
ing away,  Avhen  I  pulled  him  back 
by  the  clothes,  saying,  stay,  if  you 
please ;  we  shall  need  you  to  write 
the  answer.'  H  /  have  a  viessage 
from  God  unto  thee.  A  message  to 
be  delivered  not  in  word,  but  by 
action.  The  Hebrew  signifies  a 
thing,  a  busitiess,  an  affair,  as  well 
as  a  100 rd.  The  message  was  on  the 
point  of  Ehud's  dagger.  The  ori- 
ginal for  '  God'  moreover  is  a  term 
common  both  to  the  true  God  and 
the  supposed  deities  of  the  heathen, 
so  thaiEglon,  as  an  idolater,  might 
have  understood  it  in  a  very  differ- 
ent sense  from  that  intended  by 
Ehud.  Yet  we  think  it  most  prob- 
able on  the  whole  that  he  would  un- 
derstand Ehud,  an  Israelite,  as 
speaking  of  the  God  of  Israel,  and 
that  a  general  feeling  of  reverence 
inspired  by  the  mention  of  the  deity 
or  the  powers  above,  even  though  his 
conceptions  of  such  a  power  were 
v^ery  vague,  was  sufficient  to  prompt 
him  to  pay  a  serious  attention  to 
what  was  professedly  uttered  in  his 
name.  IT  And  he  arose  from  his 
seat.  Thus  paying  a  becoming  re- 
spect to  a  divine  communication. 
'  Though  a  king,  though  a  heathen 
king,  though  rich  and  powerful, 
though  now   tyrannizing   over   the 

f)eople  of  God,  though  a  fat,  unwield- 
y  man  that  could  not  easily  rise  nor 
stand  long,  yet  \vhen  he  expected  to 
receive  orders  from  heaven,  he  rose 
out  of  his  seat,  and  whether  it  was 
low  and  easy,  or  high  and  stately, 
he  quitted  it,  and  stood  up  when 
God  was  about  to  speak  to  him, 
thereby  owning  God  his  Superior. 
This    shames    the    irreverence    of 


left  hand,  and  took  the  dagger 
from  his  right  thigh,  and  thrust 
it  into  his  belly  : 

22  And  the  haft  also  went  in 

many  who  are  called  Christians, 
and  yet  when  a  message  from  God 
is  delivered  to  them  study  to  show 
by  all  marks  of  carelessness  how 
little  they  regard  it.'  Henry.  His 
rising  also  gave  Ehud  a  favorable 
opportunity  of  striking  the  fatal 
blow. 

21.  Took  the  dagger — and  thrust 
it,  &c.  A  correct  estimate  of  the 
moral  character  of  this  bold  deed  of 
Ehud  can  only  be  formed  by  settling 
the  previous  question,  whether  in 
performing  it  he  was  acting  under  a 
divine  commission,  or  prompted 
merely  by  a  self-moved  impulse  of 
patriotism  to  free  his  country  from 
the  yoke  of  a  usurper  and  a  tyrant. 
If  the  latter  were  the  fact,  we  have 
no  disposition  to  justify  the  course 
adopted  by  Ehud,  although  it  may  be 
plausibly  maintained  to  be  accord- 
ing to  the  acknowledged  right  of  na- 
ture and  of  nations  for  subjects  to 
free  themselves  from  bondage  and 
restore  liberty  to  a  country  unjustly 
enslaved  by  taking  the  life  of  their 
oppressor.  Most  nations,  both  in  an- 
cient and  modern  times,  that  have 
recovered  themselves  from  political 
thraldom  have  taken  this  course,  - 
and  apparently  with  the  approbation 
of  the  great  mass  of  mankind.  At 
any  rate,  the  objection,  against  this 
act  of  Ehud  as  a  base  assassination, 
comes  with  an  ill  grace  from  those 
who  admire  and  eulogize  the  con- 
duct of  Brutus  in  stabbing  Ca:;sar  in 
the  senate-house,  on  the  plea  of  rid- 
ding his  country  of  a  tyrant.  But 
the  deed  of  Ehud  is  doui)tless  to  be 
vindicated  on  other  grounds.  There 
is  every  reason,  we  think,  to  look 
upon  him  as  moved  to  this  underta- 
king by  an  impulse  from  above.  It 
is  expressly  said  v.  15,  that  God 
raised  him  up  as  a  saviour  to  the 
country,  and  how  could  he  save  his 
country  but  by  crushing  the  power 
which  held  it  in  subjection  1  Again, 


A.  C.  1336.]  CHAPTER  III. 

after  the  blade :  and  the  fat 
closed  upon  the  blade,  so  tliat 
be  coiUJ  not  draw  the  dagger 
out  of  his  belly  ;  and  the  dirt 
came  out. 

23  Then   Ehud    went     forth 


2x3 


we  are  brought  to  the  same  conclu- 
sion by  considering  the  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances under  which  the  deed 
was  accomplished.  In  view  of  the 
dangers  attending  it,  what  but  the 
confidence  of  being  divinely  directed 
could  have  induced  him,  after  dis- 
missing his  attendants  at  Gilgal,  to 
return  alone  and  attempt  the  execu- 
tion of  his  purpose  1  How  could  he 
otherwise  presume  to  thisk  that  he, 
a  single  person,  and  disabled  in  his 
right  hand  could  reach  the  heart  of 
the  king  amidst  the  circle  of  his  offi- 
cers and  guards  1  How  could  he  ex- 
pect, enemy  as  he  was,  to  be  admit- 
ted to  a  private  interview'?  And  if 
admitted,  how  could  he  have  looked 
for  an  incident  so  favorable  to  his 
object  as  the  king's  ordering  all  the 
company  to  leave  the  room  1  And 
then  should  he  succeed  in  dispatch- 
ing the  king,  wha.t  prospect  had  he 
of  effecting  his  escape  1 — and  yet, 
should  he  fail  to  escape,  the  Vvholc 
enterprise,  as  far  as  the  deliverance 
of  his  country  was  concerned,  would  i 
have  been  abortive.  We  cannot  ' 
therefore  resist  the  evidence  arising 
from  these  considerations  that  Ehud 
acted  in  this  matter  in  virtue  of  a 
commission  from  God,  M'ho  saw  fit 
thus  to  punish  the  oppressor  of  his 
people  after  having  first  m^de  use  of 
him  for  their  correction.  lie  would 
of  course  know  that  the  prompting 
to  the  act  was  of  God  by  the  Spirit 
that  came  upon  him,  the  impulses  of 
which  carried  their  own  evidence 
along  with  them,  and  so  gave  him 
full  assurance  at  once  of  the  lawful- 
ness and  the  success  of  the  attempt, 
of  both  which  he  would  otherwise 
have  had  the  utmost  reason  to  doub^. 
'  If  he  be  sure  that  God  bids  him  do 
it,  he  is  snre  both  that  he  may  do  it, 
and  that  he  shall  do  it:  for  a  com- 
19 


through  the  porch,  and  shut  the 
doors  of  the  parlor  upon  him, 
and  locked  them. 

24  When  lie  was  gone  out, 
bis  servants  came  ;  ar;d  when 
they  saw  that,  behold,  the  doors 


mand  from  God  is  sufficient  to  bear 
us  out,  and  to  bring  us  off,  both 
against  our  consciences  and  against 
all  the  world.'  Henri/.  It  is  not 
however  to  be  imagined  that  Ehud's 
conduct  is  to  be  followed  as  a  prece- 
dent ;  for  no  man  can  dare  to  follow 
It  unless  he  have  infallible  evidence 
that  he  is  called  of  God  to  do  it ;  but 
as  no  man  can  expect  such  a  call 
at  this  time,  no  man  can  without  the 
deepest  criminality  presume  to  im- 
itate his  example. 

22.  And  the  dirt  cavie  nut.  Ac- 
cording to  some,  '  and  it  (the  blade) 
went  out  behind.'  The  obscurity  of 
the  original  renders  it  diflicult  to 
affix  any  determinate  sense  to  the 
words. 

23.  Ehvd  v:ent  forth,  &c.  By  a 
remarkable  providence,  Eglon  fell 
silently  without  uttering  any  shriek 
or  outcry,  which  might  have  been 
overheard  by  his  servants  at  a  dis- 
tance. His  dying  groans  seem  to 
have  been  stifled  in  his  own  fat,  and 
thus  the  escape  of  his  executioner 
was  signally  favored.  Ehud  accord- 
ingly walked  forth  shutting  and 
locking  the  doors,  and  probably  ta- 
king the  key  with  him.  Avith  such  an 
air  of  composure  and  innocence  as 
gave  no  ground  of  suspicion,  to  any 
of  the  guards  that  he  might  have 
passed,  of  v.'hat  had  taken  place 
vv-ithin.  His  calm  and  sedate  de- 
meanor under  such  trying  circum- 
stances is  to  be  resolved  into  that 
strong  confidence  in  God,  by  which 
he  Avas  actuated  in  executing  the 
commission. 

24.  He  covereth  his  feet.  This  ap- 
pears to  have  been  an  idiomatic  and 
colloquial  form  of  expression  for 
laying  down  to  sleep.  When  this 
was  done  they  dropped  their  slip- 
pers, lifted  up  their  feet,  and  cov- 


214 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  133G, 


of  the  parlor  were  locked,  they 
said,  Surely  he  covereth  his  feet 
in  his  summer-chamber. 

25  And  they  tarried  till  they 
were  ashamed  :  and  behold,  he 
opened  not  the  doors  of  the  par- 
lor,  therefore  they  took  a  key 
and  opened  them  :  and  behold, 
their  lord  ivas  fallen  down  dead 
on  the  earth. 

26  And  Ehud  escaped  while 
they   tarried  ;   and    passed    be- 


ered  them  with  their  long  loose  gar- 
ments. Thus  in  the  only  other 
place  where  this  phrase  occurs, 
1  Sam.  24.  3,  we  read,  that  Saul 
'  went  into  a  cave  to  cover  his  feet,' 
i.  e.  to  refresh  himself  by  sleep. 
This  interpretation,  though  varying 
from  that  of  several  of  the  ancient 
versions,  which  regard  it  as  a  eu- 
phemism for  a  different  act,  is  con- 
firmed by  the  Arabic  and  Syriac,  and 
also  by  Josephiis,  who  says,  '  The 
king's  servants  were  very  still,  as 
supposing  that  tlie  king  had  compo- 
sed himself  to  sUcp.'  From  the  case 
of  Ishbosheth,  '2  Sam.  4.  5,  and  of 
David,  2  Sam.  11.  2,  it  is  evident 
that  the  custom  of  taking  repose  in 
those  hot  countries  in  the  middle  of 
the  day  was  by  no  means  unusual. 

25.  Tarried  till  they  were  asham- 
ed. That  is,  perplexed,  confound- 
ed, not  knowing  what  to  make  of 
it.  They  were  "greatly  agitated  be- 
tween the  fear  of  disturbing  him 
on  the  one  hand,  and  of  neglecting 
their  duty  on  the  other.  Though 
the  primary  import  of  the  original  is 
thai  oi feeling  shayne,  yet  it  is  also  in 
repeated  instances  found  to  be  close- 
ly connected  with  the  idea  of  disap- 
pointment in  long  loailing,  and  con- 
sequent perplexity,  chagrin,  mortifi- 
cation. Thus  Jer.  14.  3, '  And  their 
nobles  have  sent  their  little  ones  to 
the  waters :  they  have  come  to  the 
pits,  and  found  no  water ;  they  re- 
turned with  their    vessels    empty; 


yond  the  quarries,  and  escaped 
unto  Seirath. 

27  And  it  came  to  pass  when 
he  was  come,  that  >he  blew  a 
trumpet  in  the  'mountain  of 
Ephraim,  and  the  cliildren  of  Is- 
rael went  down  with  him  from 
the  mount,  and  he  before  them. 

28  And  he  said  unto  them, 
Follow  after  me  :  for  ''the  Lord 
hath  delivered  your  enemies  the 
Moabites  into  your  hand.     And 

y  ch.5.  14.  &  6.  3J.     1  Sam.  13  3.      xJosh.  17.  15. 
ch.  1.  -ii.  Hi  17.  1.  Si.  19.  1.  a  ch.  7.  9,  lo.     1  S«m, 

17.  -17. 


they  were  ashamed  and  confounded, 
and  covered  their  heads.'  Job.  G. 
19,  20, '  The  troops  of  Tema  looked, 
the  companies  of  Sheba  wailed  for 
them.  They  were  confounded  be- 
cause they  had  hoped;  they  came 
thither  and  were  ashamed.^  Comp. 
Ps.  6.  1.  Jer.  14.  4.  Is.  19  9. 
H  Behold,  their  lord  was  fallen  dovsn. 
Heb. '  their  lords  •'  pi.  excel,  accord- 
ing to  the  Heb.  idiom.  See  on  Gen. 
1.  1.  '  God,  when  he  hath  chastened 
bis  children,  doth  many  times  cast 
the  rod  into  the  fire.'     Trapp. 

27.  Blew  a  trumpet  in  the  moun- 
tain of  Ephraim.  That  is,  caused 
trumpets  to  to  be  blown  in  different 
directions  throughout  that  region. 
By  the  '  mountain  of  Ephraim'  is 
not  meant  any  particular  mountain, 
but  the  mountainous  tract  or  dis- 
trict generally.  Ehud,  though  a 
Benjamite,  applied  first  to  the  tribe 
of  Ephraim,  probably  for  the  reason 
that  that  tribe,  lying  immediately 
contiguous,  was  more  numerous 
than  his  own,  and  had  more  men  to 
spare,  as  the  Benjamites  not  long  be- 
fore, in  consequence  of  the  events 
mentioned  ch.  19 — 21,  seem  to  have 
been  reduced  to  a  mere  handful.  It 
is  not  unlikely,  moreover,  that  the 
Ephraimiles  had  been  the  principal 
sufferers  under  the  rod  of  Moab. 
IT  The  children  of  Israel  went  doicn 
from  the  mount.  After  being  col- 
lected in  considerable  numbers  by 
his  emissaries. 


A.  C.  1336.] 


they  went  clown  after  him,  and 
took  ^the  fords  of  Jordan  toward 
Moab.  and  suffered  not  a  man 
to  pass  over. 

29  And  they  slew  of  Moab  at 
that  time  about  ten  thousand 
men,  all  lustv,  and  all  men  of 


28.  Took  the  fords -of  Jordan.  He 
^rst  secured  these  passes  and  set  a 
strong  guard  upon  them,  to  cut  off 
all  communication  between  the  Mo- 
abites  on  the  "vvest,  and  those  in  their 
own  country  on  the  east  of  Jordan, 
so  that  those  who  might  attempt  to 
fly  should  have  no  means  of  escape, 
and  those  who  might  resolve  to 
light  no  prospect  of  assistance  from 
abroad-  '■  He  thus  shut  them  up  in 
that  land  as  their  prison,  in  which 
they  were  pleasing  themselves  as 
their  palace  and  paradise.'     Henry. 

29.  Ail  lustij,  arid  all  men  of  valor. 
The  best  and  choicest  of  all  the  king 
of  Moab's  forces,  picked  troops, 
coinposed  of  men  of  bulk  and  stature, 
able-bodied  and  high-spirited,  whom 
Eglon  had  stationed  on  that  side  the 
Jordan  to  overawe  and  keep  Israel 
in  subjection.  Chal.  '  every  one 
terrible  and  full  of  valor.' 

30.  After  hivi  ivas  Shamgar.  Of 
the  tribe  and  family  of  Shamgar  no- 
thing is  said  in  the  Scripture,  ex- 
cept that  he  was  the  son  of  Anath, 
nor  are  we  informed  how  long  he 
judged  Israel.  From  his  having  to 
do  principally  with  the  Philistines, 
it  is  probable  that  he  originated  in 
one  of  the  tribes  bordering  upon 
their  territory,  as  perhaps  that  of 
Judah  or  Dan.  ^  Wifk  an  ox-goad. 
Heb.  T)2b^  mabnad,  from  the  root 
•-jT^b  lamid,  to  teach,  and  literally 
rendered  '  an  instructor  of  oxen  •' 
i.  e.  an  instrument  by  which  they 
are  brought  into  due  subjection,  an- 
alogous to  which  we  have,  Hos.  10. 
11,  '  m>2b^  nb^5  '<'  heifer  that  is 
taught,'  and  Jer.  31.  18,  '  I  was  chas- 
tised -|>33  s^b  b^'-^'S  ^'^  ^  bullock  not 
taught,'  i.  e.  notjtrainedto  subjection, 
though  rendered  less  accurately  in 


CHAPTER  III.  215 

valor  ;  and  there  escaped  not  a 


man. 

30  So  Moab  was  subdued 
that  day  under  the  hand  of  Is- 
rael :  and  ""-the  land  had  rest 
fouiscore  years. 

31  U"    And    after     him     was 


our  translation,  '  unaccustomed  to 
the  yoke.'  The  Sept.  and  Vulg. 
render  the  original  by  a  coulter  or 
2Jloughskare,  but  that  the  ox-goad 
still  used  in  Palestine  is  a  weapon 
sufficiently  destructive  for  this  pur- 
pose, if  wielded  by  a  strong  and 
.^kilful  hand,  appears  highly  prob- 
able from  the  description  of  this 
implement  given  by  Maundrell.  He 
saj^s, '  the  country  people  were  now 
everywhere  at  plough  in  the  fields, 
in  order  to  sow  cotton.  It  was  ob- 
servable, that  in  ploughing  they  used 
goads  of  extraordinary  size  ;  upon 
measuring  of  several,  I  found  them 
eight  feet  long,  and  at  the  bigger  end 
six  inches  in  circumference.  They 
were  armed  at  the  lesser  end  with  a 
sharp  prickle  for  driving  the  oxen, 
at  the  other  end  with  a  small  spade, 
or  paddle  of  iron,  strong  and  massy, 
for  cleansing  the  plough  from  the 
clay  that  encumbers  it  in  working. 
May  we  not  from  hence  conjecture, 
that  it  was  with  such  a  goad  as  one 
of  these,  that  Shamgar  made  that 
prodigious  slaughter  related  of  him. 
Judges  3.  21.  I  am  confident  that 
whoever  should  see  one  of  these  in- 
struments, would  judge  it  to  be  a 
weapon  not  less  fit,  perhaps  fitter, 
than  a  sword  for  such  an  execution. 
Goads  of  this  sort  I  saw  always  used 
hereabouts,  and  also  in  Syria;  and 
the  reason  is,  because  the  same 
single  person  both  drives  the  oxen, 
and  also  holds  and  manages  the 
plough;  which  makes  it  necessary 
to  use  such  a  goad  as  is  above  de- 
scribed, to  avoid  the  encumbrance 
of  two  instruments.'  This  is  con- 
firmed by  Mr.  Buckingham,  who, 
in  describing  his  journey  from  Soor 
(Tyre)  to    Acre,   remarks    of  the 


216 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1316. 


•^Shamgar  the  son  of  Anath, 
which  slew  oi"  the  Pliilistiiies  six 
hundred  men  «with  an  ox-goad  ; 
^and  he  also  delivered  sisrael. 


d  ch.  5.  6,  6.  1  Sam. 
50.  f  ch.  2  16.  g  , 
11.  4,  &c.     I  S^ui.  4.  1. 


3.  \0.:-2. 
ii.  4.  1,  3, 


Sam.  17.  47, 
;  10.  7,  .7.  6t 


ploughing  that  he  witnessed,  that 
'  oxen  were  yoked  in  pairs,  and  the 
plough  was  small  and  of  simple  con- 
struction, so  that  it  seemed  necessary 
for  two  to  follow  each  other  in  the 
same  furrow  as  they  invariably  did. 
The  husbandman  holding  the  plough 
with  one  hand,  by  a  handle  like  that 
of  a  walking  crutch,  bore  in  the  other 
a  goad  of  seven  or  eight  feet  in  length,  i 
armed  with  a  sharp  point  of  iron  at 
one  end,  and  at  the  other  with  a  | 
plate  of  the  same  metal  shaped  like 
a  calking-chisel.  One  attendant  on- 
ly was  necessary  for  each  plough, 
as  he  who  guided  it,  with  one  hand 
spurred  the  oxen  with  the  points  of 
the  goad,  and  cleansed  the  earth  from 
the  ploughshare  by  its  spaded  heel 
with  the  other.'  Shamgar  was  per- 
haps quietly  following  the  plough, 
at  the  time  when  the  Philistines 
made  a  sudden  inroad  upon  the 
country  for  purposes  of  plunder,  and 
being  moved  by  God  to  oppose  them, 
and  having  neither  spear  nor  sAvord 
at  hand,  he  availed  himself  of  the 
implement  with  which  he  was  driv- 
ing his  oxen,  and  with  that  effected 
the  slaughter  here  described.  The 
achievement  was  probably  mira- 
culous on  his  part,  like  that  of  Sam- 
son in  killing  so  many  thousands  of 
the  Philistines  with  the  jaw-bone  of 
an  ass;  though  several  respectable 
commentators  suppose  that  instead 
of  withstanding  the  enemy  alone,  he 
put  himself  at  the  head  of  a  hastily 
gathered  band  of  country  people, 
who  arvning  theinselv^es  with  the 
implements  of  tillage  v.'ith  which 
they  were  occupied,  fell  upon  the 
invaders  and  put  them  to  a  total  rout. 
In  support  of  this  sense  it  is  affirm- 
ed, that  a  leader  is  often  put  for  the 
force  which  he  commands,  as  above, 
ch.  1.  13,  where  Othniel  is  said  to 
have  taken  Kirjath-sepher,  though 


CIIAPTEll  IV. 

A  ND  nhe  children  of  Israel 
-^  again  did  evil  in  the  sight  of 
the  Loud  when  Ehud  was  dead. 

a  ch    2.  19. 


no  one  will  suppose  he  did  it  unas- 
sisted. So  also  in  regard  to  the  ex- 
ploits of  the  three  champions  of  Is- 
rael mentioned  2  Sam.  23.  8 — 13. 
But  this  interpretation  appears  on 
the  whole  less  likely.  The  incident 
is  evidently  recorded  as  something 
uncommon  and  marvellous,  and  as 
divine  interpositions  nomore  strange 
frequently  occurred  during  the  days 
of  the  judges,  we  deem  it  safer  to 
abide  by  the  exact  letter  of  the  text. 
'  It  is  no  matter  how  weak  the  weap- 
on is,  if  God  direct  and  strengthen 
the  arm.  An  ox-goad,  when  God 
pleases,  shall  do  more  than  Goliath's 
sword.  And  sometimes  he  chooses 
to  work  by  such  unlikely  means, 
that  the  excellency  of  the  power  may 
appear  to  be  of  God.'  Henry.  The 
brief  account  here  given  of  Shamgar 
here  suggests  the  remark,  (1.)  That 
the  most  distinguished  men  have  of- 
fen  risen  from  the  meanest  emplo)'- 
ments.  (2.)  That  M-hen  a  plough- 
man is  raised  up  by  God  to  hold  the 
reins  of  government,  or  a  fisherman 
is  elevated  to  the  apostleship,  he  will 
qualify  them  for  their  w-ork  and 
bless  them  with  success. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

1.  The  children  of  Israel  did  evil 
again.in  the  sight  of  the  Lord.  This 
mode  of  expression  when  used,  as 
here,  of  the  whole  body  of  the  nation 
seems  to  imply  a  general  and  open 
defection  from  the  worship  of  God, 
so  that  the  services  of  the  sanctuary 
were  in  a  great  measure  neglected. 
'  What  a  continued  circle  is  here  of 
sins,  judgments,  repentance,  deliv- 
erance !  The  conversation  with 
idolaters  taints  them  with  sin,  their 
sin  draws  on  judgment,  the  smart  of 
the  judgment  moves  them  to  repen- 
tance, on  their  repentance  follows 
speedy  deliverance,  on  their  peace 


A.  C.  1316.] 


CHAPTER  IV. 


217 


2  And  the  Lord  ^sold  them 
into  the  hand  of  Jabin  king  of 
Canaan  that  reigned  in  "^Hazor, 
the  captain  of  whose  host  loas 
^Sisera,  which  dwelt  in  ^Haro- 
sheth  of  the  Gentiles. 

b  ch.  2.  11,      c  Josh.  11.  I,  10.  &  19.  36.      d  I  Sam. 
12.  9.     Ps.  83.  9      c  ver.  13,  16. 

anddeliverance  they  sin  again!  Who 
would  not  think  idolatry  an  absurd 
and  unnatural  thing  1  which  as  it 
hath  the  fewest  inducements,  so  had 
also  the  most  direct  prohibitions 
from  God ;  and  yet  after  all  their 
warnings,  Israel  falls  into  it  again. 
Neither  affliction  nor  repentance 
can  secure  an  Israelite  from  redoub- 
ling his  worst  sin,  if  he  be  left  to  his 
own  frailty.'  Bp.  Hall.  If  When 
Ehud  loas  dead.  This  appears  to  be 
inserted  not  merely  to  indicate  the 
time  when  this  apostacy  took  place, 
but  also  to  acquit  Ehud  of  all  parti- 
cipation in  it.  Had  he  been  alive 
there  would  have  been  less  likeli- 
hood of  its  occurring. 

2.  Sold  them.  See  on  ch.  2.  14. 
IT  Jabin,  king  of  Canaan.  That  is, 
of  the  region  where  the  greatest  body 
of  the  Canaanites  dwelt,  which  was 
in  the  northern  section  of  the  coun- 
try. This  Jabin  was  perhaps  a  de- 
.scendant,  as  well  as  successor  of  the 
king  of  the  same  name,  who  reigned 
also  in  Hazor,  and  who  was  routed 
and  slain,  and  his  city  burnt  by  Josh- 
ua, Josh.  11.  1,  10.  In  process  of 
time,  it  appears  that  the  city  had 
been  rebuilt,  its  power  regained,  its 
losses  retrieved,  and  by  degrees  the 
king  of  Hazor  had  obtained  the  as- 
cendancy over  Israel,  who  were  ex- 
ceedingly oppressed  under  his  rod. 
Their  former  defeat  by  the  chosen 
people,  would  naturally  provoke 
them  to  make  their  burdens  as  heavy 
as  possible,  while  on  the  otlier  hand, 
the  misery  of  the  sufferers  would  be 
aggravated  by  the  reflection,  that 
these  Canaanites  had  once  been  con- 
quered and  subdued  by  them,  and 
might  now  have  been  under  their 
feet  and  incapable  of  molesting  them, 
if  their  own  slothfulness,  cowardice, 
19* 


3  And  the  children  of  Israel 
cried  unto  the  Lord  ;  for  he  had 
nine  hundred  '"chariots  of  iron  ; 
and  twenty  years  she  mightily 
oppressed  the  ciiildren  of  Israel. 

4  IT  And   Deborah,     a     pro- 

f  ch.  1.  19.        g  ch.  5.  8.      Fs.  106.  42. 


and  unbelief  had  not  given  them  the 
advantage.  To  be  oppressed  by 
those  whom  their  fathers  had  con- 
quered, and  whom  they  had  foolish- 
ly spared,  must  have  greatly  embit- 
tered their  bondage.  No  reverses 
are  so  trying  as  those  which  give 
the  upper  hand  to  persons  or  events, 
that  have  once  been  under  our  com- 
plete control.  IT  Harosheth  of  the 
Gentiles.  Or,  '  Harosheth  of  the 
nations,'  i.  e.  of  the  heathen  nations 
as  opposed  to  the  Hebrews,  so  called 
perhaps  from  the  remains  of  the 
Canaanitish  nations  having  resorted 
thiiher  in  great  numbers  to  assist 
Sisera,  the  commander  of  Jabin's 
armies,  and  to  obtain  his  protection. 
It  was  situated  in  the  tribe  of  Naph- 
tali,  near  the  west  borders  of  the 
Lake  Samechonitis,  in  the  region 
which  was  afterwards  called,  per- 
haps in  allusion  to  this  passage, 
'  Galilee  of  the  Gentiles.' 

3.  Cried  unfa  the  Lord.  '  Those 
vv^ho  abuse  prosperity  shall  know 
the  cries  of  adversity.'  Haweis.  IT 
Nine  hundred  chariots  of  iron.  Had 
so  many  at  his  service  and  under  his 
control.  It  is  probable  that  part  of 
them  belonged  to  the  neighboring 
powers  (ch.  5.  19.)  who  were  confed- 
erate with  him  on  this  occasion, 
but  altogether  they  made  out  the 
vast  number  here  mentioned.  '  God 
provides,  on  purpose,  mighty  adver- 
saries for  his  church,  that  their 
humiliation  may  be  greater  in  sus- 
taining, and  his  glory  may  be  great- 
er in  deliverance.'  Bp.  Hall.  IT 
Twenty  years.  A  longer  period  of 
oppression  than  either  of  the  former, 
because  God  proportions  the  judg- 
ments of  his  sinning  people  to  the 
aggravation  of  their  offences. 

4.  And  Deborah  a  prophetess.  Heb. 


218 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1316. 


phetess,  the  wife  of  Lapidoth, 
she  judged  Israel  at  that  time. 

'  Debjrah  a  woman,  a  prophetess.' 
The  words  '  prophet'  and  '  prophe- 
tess' are  of  very  extensive  and  some- 
what ambiguous  signification  in  the 
Old  Testament,  being  sometimes  ap- 
plied to  persons  extraordinarily  en- 
dowed of  God  with  the  poAver  of 
foretelling  future  events  or  of  work- 
ing   miracles,   or  of   chanting    or 
singing    forth  the    praises  of  God 
under  supernatural  influence ;  and 
sometimes  to  those  who  were  re- 
markably instructed  in  divine  knowl- 
edge by  the  immediate   inspiration 
of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  therefore 
appointed  to  act  as  interpreters  of 
his  will.     As  to  Deborah,  she  prob- 
ably belonged  to  the  latter  class,  and 
was  perhaps  only  a  woman  of  emi- 
nent holiness,  prudence,  and  knowl- 
edge of  divine  things,  by  which  she 
was  qualified  above  any  of  the  other 
sex  then  living  to  judge  the  people ; 
that  is,  by  acting  as  God's  mouth  to 
them,  correcting  abuses,  redressing 
grievances,  and  determining  causes, 
especially  in  matters  pertaining  to 
the  law  and  the  worship  of  God.  She 
was  resorted  to  by  the  people  of  Is- 
rael, from  different  parts,  for  judg- 
ment or  counsel  relative  to  subjects  of 
general  interest  to  the  nation,  or  that 
part  of  it  where  she  resided,  and  dis- 
charged her  duty  by  expounding  the 
Scriptures,  and  animating  the  mag- 
istrates in  their  several  districts  to 
put  the  laws   in  execution.      'I  do 
not  find  any  prophet  in  Israel  during 
their  sin ;  but  so  soon  as  I  hear  news 
of  their  repentance,  mention  is  made 
of  a  prophetess,  and  judge  of  Israel. 
There  is  no  better  sign  of  God's  re- 
conciliation than  the  sending  of  his 
holy  messengers  to  any  people  ;  he 
is  not  utterly  fallen  out  with  those 
whom   he  blesses  with    prophecy.' 
Bp.  Hall.  Under  every  dispensation 
the  Most  High  exercises  his  prerog- 
ative as  a  sovereign  in  the  bestow- 
ment  of  spiritual  gifts,  and  though 
women,  under  the  Christian  econ- 
omy, are  precluded  from  the  func- 


5   '^  And  she  dwek  under  "the 
palm-tree  of  Deborah,   between 


tion  of  public  teachers,  yet  nothing 
hinders  them  from  making  the  most 
eminent  attainments  in  divine  knowl- 
edge, and  becoming  able  in  a  private 
capacity  to  render  the  most  signal 
serivces  to    the    ministry  and    the 
cause  of  Christ.     The  import  of  the 
name  Deborah  is  '  a  bee.'     Females 
possessed  of  her  spirit,  in  respect  to 
the  assiduous  study  of  the  Scriptures, 
Avill  find    themselves,    like  David, 
feeding  upon  that  which  is  siceeter 
to  their  taste  than  honey  or  the  hon- 
ey-comb, and  in  the  benevolent  em- 
ployments to  which  it  will  prompt 
them,  Avill  evince  the  busy  and  imtir- 
ing  diligence  of  their  insect  exem- 
plar, ^  The  wife   of   Lapidolh. 
The  termination  of  the  word  is  the 
Heb.  feminine  plural,  which  very 
seldom  occurs  in  the  names  of  men. 
Some  therefore  render  it  '  woman  of 
Lapidoth,'  as  if  it  were  the  name  of 
a  place.     Others,  as  Lapidoth  taken 
appellatively  signifies  lo.nqjs,  would 
read  it  a'  woman  of  lamps,'  i.  e.  one 
who  made  wicks  for  the  lamps  of 
the  Tabernacle.   Others,  again  with 
more    show  of  probability,  would 
translate  it  a  '  woman  of  illumin- 
ations or  splendors,'  by  which  they 
would  understand  a  woman  super- 
naturally  enlightened,  endowed  with 
extraordinary  wisdom,  and  who  had 
thus  become  very  eminent  and  illus- 
trious. After  all,  tlie  present  render- 
ing, '  wife  of  Lapidoth,'  is  the  most 
probable.      Thus  2   Kings  22.  14, 
'  Huldah  the  prophetess,  the  wife  of 
Shallum.'      And  for    examples  of 
feminine  terminations  in  (he  names, 
see    'Shelomith,'    1   Chron.  23.  9. 
'  Meramoth,'  Ezra  8.  33.  and  '  Mik- 
loth,'  1  Chron.  27.  4.        H  Judged 
Israel.  That  is,  in  the  manner  above 
described.  It  can  hardly  be  supposed 
that  she  performed  all  the  duties  usu- 
ally involved  in  the  office  of  a  judge 
of  Israel,  of  which  one  of  the  princi- 
pal was  leading  the  tribes  in  person 
to  war  against  the  enemies  and  op- 
pressors of  their  country.  But  so  far 


A.  C.  1316.] 


CHAPTER  ]V. 


219 


Ramah  and  Beth -el  in  mount 
Epliraira  :  and  the  children  of 
Israel  came  up  to  her  for  judg- 
ment. 


as  the  work  of  judging  the  people  de- 
pended upon  counselling  and  direct- 
ing them  in  difficult  cases,  and  ex- 
pounding the  will  of  God  under  the 
influence  of  the  spirit  of  prophecy, 
this,  though  a  woman,  she  might  be 
qualified  to  do.  Had  this  office,  at 
this  time,  been  filled  by  a  man,  it 
would  probably  have  given  alarm  to 
Jabin,  and  afforded  a  pretext  to  op- 
press the  nation  with  still  greater 
burdens,  and  perhaps  to  attempt  to 
crush  them  altogether.  Josephus, 
speaking  of  this  period,  says  '  When 
they  (the  Israelites)  were  become 
penitent,  and  were  so  wise  as  to 
learn  that  their  calamities  arose 
from  their  contempt  of  the  laws, 
they  besought  Deborah,  a  certain 
prophetess  among  them,  to  pray  to 
God  to  take  pity  on  them,  not  to  over- 
look them  now  they  were  ruined  by 
the  Canaanites.'  Ant.  B.  V.  ch.  5. 
Compare  what  is  said  of  Samuel, 
1  Sam.  7.  G,  8. 

5.  She  dwelt  under  the  palm-tree  of 
Deborah.  That  is,  perhaps,  collect. 
a  palm-grove,  a  pleasant  and  shady 
recess,  amidst  a  thick  plantation  of 
palm-trees ;  which  from  this  circum- 
stance went  ever  after  by  the  name 
of  Deborah's  palm-grove.  Whether 
this  is  designed  to  intimate  that  her 
ordinary  settled  habitation  was  se- 
lected in  this  place,  or  that  her  judg- 
ment-seat was  fixed  here  in  the  open 
air  for  hearing  the  applications  that 
were  made  to  her,  it  is  not  easy  to 
determine.  The  original  (nD'!/"!'^ 
ivas  sitting')  will  admit  of  either 
sense.  From  the  phrase  '  sitting  in 
judgment,'  Ps.  9.  8,  it  would  appear, 
that  the  latter  is  the  more  genuine 
import  of  the  words.  IT  Between 
Raviah  and  Bethel  in  mount  Ephra- 
im.  Consequently  very  near  the 
confines  of  the  tribes  of  Benjamin 
and  Ephraim,  in  one  of  which  lay 
Ramah,  and  in  the  other  Bethel,  the 


6  And  she  sent  and  called 
i  Barak  the  son  of  Abinoam  out 
''of  Kedesh-naphtali,  and  said 
unto  him,  Hath   not  the   Lord 

i  Heb.  n.  3'2.        k  Josh.  19.  37. 

former  about  six  miles  north  of  Jer- 
usalem, the  latter  about  twelve. 

6.  Kedesh-naphtali.  So  called  to 
distinguish  it  from  two  other  cities 
of  the  same  name,  the  one  in  Issa- 
char,  the  other  in  Judah.  This 
place  was  situated  on  an  eminence 
about  eight  miles  north-west  from  the 
headofthesea  of  Galilee.  To  Kedesh 
she  sent  for  Barak,  in  virtue  of  the 
authority  with  which  she  was  invest- 
ed as  prophetess,  and  which  seems 
to  have  been  generally  acknowledg- 
ed by  her  people.  '  He  could  do 
nothing  without  her  head,  nor  she 
without  his  hands;  both  together 
made  a  complete  deliverefand  effect- 
ed a  complete  deliverance.  The 
greatest  and  best  are  not  self-suffici- 
ent, but  need  one  another.'  Henry. 
IT  Hath  not  the  Lord  God  of  Israel 
coramayided,  &c.  The  usual  form  of 
a  strong  affirmation.  It  does  uot  ap- 
pear, however,  that  Barak  had  re- 
ceived any  command  Avhatever  pre- 
vious to  this  time.  IT  Go  and  draw 
toil' ard  mount  Tabor.  The  true  sense 
of  the  term  '  draw'  in  this  connec- 
tion, is  a  point  much  debated  by  com- 
mentators. According  to  the  render- 
ing in  our  common  translation  if 
would  naturally  be  taken  as  a  com- 
mand to  approach  toward  mount  Ta- 
bor; but  this  evidently  is  incorrect, 
as  the  verb  in  the  original  never  has 
this  meaning,  and  the  exact  render- 
ing of  the  preposition  is  in  or  upon 
mount  Tabor,  instead  of /o26y//y/.  A 
nearer  approximation  to  the  sense  of 
the  Hebrew  must  be  attempted,  and 
here  as  in  other  cases  of  doubtful  in- 
terpretation the  prevailing  usage^ 
(usus  loquendi)  of  the  sacred  writers 
in  regard  to  the  Avord  in  question 
must  afford  the  clew  to  our  inquiries. 
That  its  primary  import  is  to  draw, 
to  draw  out,  and  thence,  in  some 
cases,  to  prolong^  to  protract,  as 
the  sound  of  a  trumpet  in  blow- 


220 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1316. 


God  of  Israel  commanded,  say. 
ing,  Go,  and  draw  toward  mount 
Tabor,  and  take  with  thee  ten 

ing,   is  universally  conceded.     In- 
deed Le  Clerc,  Schmid,  and  others 
on  the  ground  of  its  being  applied 
tothe  long-drmon  sound  of  a  trum- 
pet, Ex.  17.  13,  Josh.  6.5,  propose  to 
supply  the  original  word  for  trum- 
pet and  to  take  it  as  a  command  to 
Barak  to  go  and  bloio  the  trumpet  on 
mount  Tabor,  as  a  signal  for  the 
gathering  of  the  tribes,  as  Ehud  did 
upon   mount  Ephraim.      Gesenius 
and  Wmer  in  their  lexicons,  under- 
stand it   of  dravnng  out,  or  asun- 
der a  military  force,  i.  e.  intrans. 
extending,      expanding,     spreading 
themselves  out.     A  preferable  sense 
we   think   to  be    that  of   draining, 
drafting,  or  enlisting,  not  perhap«s 
by  compulsion,  but  by  argument  and 
persuasion  ;  not  so  much  to  raise  an 
army  of  conscripts,  as  a  band  of  vol- 
unteers; as  will  be  easily  inferred 
from  the  tenor  of  Deborah's  song  in 
the  ensuing    chapter,  which  is  in 
part  a  reproof  to  several  of  the  tribes 
for  not  offering  themselves  vAUlngly 
on  this  perilous  emergency.     How 
much    support    this    rendering  re- 
ceives from  parallel  usage  will  be 
seen  from  the  following  citations. 
Cant.  1.  4,  ^  Draw  me,  we  will  run 
after  thee;'  i.  e.  .secretly  but  power- 
fally  constrain  me.    Jer.  31.  3.  'I 
have  loved  thee  with  an  everlasting 
love;  therefore  with  loving  kindness 
ho.ve  I  drawn  thee.'     Hos.  11.  4.  '  / 
^rem\.\\em.  with  cords  of  a  man,  with 
bands  of  love ;'  i.  e.  by  the  power  of 
moral  suasion;  by  arguments  and 
motives  suited  to  their  rational  na- 
tures.    In  like  manner,  we  suppose 
Barak  was  ordered  to  go  and  use 
his  utmost  endeavors  to  stir  up  the 
minds  of  his  countrymen,  and  as  a 
popular  advocate  of  any  cause  draws 
partisans  after  him,  so  he  was  to  pre- 
vail upon  as  many  as  possible  to  en- 
gage with  him  in  the  proposed  en- 
terprise.   See  on  ch.  5.  14.     \\  Mount 
Tabor.  An  isolated  mountain  which 
rises  on  the   north-eastern  side  of  I 


thousand  men  of  the  children  of 
Naphtali,  and  of  the  children  of 
Zebulun  ; 


the    great    plain  of   Esdraelon    in 
Galilee,    and    situated    about     six 
miles  south-east  of  Nazareth.      It 
is  described  as  having  the  appear- 
ance of  a  cone  with  the  point  cut  off; 
but  travellers  vary  in  their  estimate 
of  its  height,  which  is  probably  about 
2500  or  3000  feet.     It  is  remarkable 
for  standing  alone,  though  there  are 
several  eminences  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, all  which  it  completly  over- 
tops.    It  is  very  fertile  and  is  en- 
tirely covered  with  green  oaks  and 
other  trees,  shrubs,  and  odoriferous 
plants.     Roads  and  paths  are  made 
on  the  south  side  of  the  mountain, 
which  lead  to  its  top  by  winding 
ascents,  and  are  sufficiently  easy  to 
admit  of  riding  to  the  top.     When 
arrived  at  the  summit,  the  traveller 
is  astonished  to  find  an  oval  of  half 
a  mile  in  extent,  commanding  the 
finest  view  any  where  to  be  obtained 
in  the  whole  compass  of  Palestine. 
On  this  plain  at  the  east  end  is  a 
mass  of  ruins,  apparently  the   re- 
mains of  churches,  towers,  strong 
walls,  and  fortifications,  all  bearing 
the  traces  of  having  been  erected  in 
a  very  remote  antiquity.     Several 
grottos  and  cisterns  are  also  pointed 
out.      '  From  its  top,'  says  Maund- 
rell,  'you  have  a  prospect  which,  if 
nothing  else,  will  reward  the  labor 
of  ascending  it.     It  is  impossible  for 
man's  eyes  to  have  a  higher  gratifi- 
cation of  this  nature.    On  the  north- 
west, you  discern,  at  a  distance,  the 
Mediterranean,  and  all  round  you 
have    the    spacious    and    beautiful 
plains  of   Esdraelon    and    Galilee. 
Turning  a  little  southward  you  have 
in  view  the  high  mountains  of  Gil- 
boa,  fatal  to  Saul  and  his  sons.    Due 
east  you  discern  the  sea  of  Tiberias, 
distant    about    one   day's   journey.' 
The  mountain  is  now  called  Djebcl 
Tour.      H  Ten  thousand  men.    Ten 
thousand  more  or  less.     Not  that  he 
was  to  be  tied  to  this  precise  number, 
nor  exclusively  to  these  two  tribes  ; 


A.  C.  131G.] 


CHAPTER  IV. 


221 


7  And  il  will  draw  unto  thee, 
to  the  '"river  Kishon,  Sisera  the 
captain  of  Jabin's  army,  w'ith  his 
chariots  and  his  multitude  ;  and 
I  will  deliver  him  into  thy  hand? 

8  And  Barak  said  unto  her, 


1  Ex.  U.  4. 

,  10. 


ch.  5.21.    1  Kings  18.  40.     Fs.  S3. 


for  it  is  plain  from  ch.  5.  14 — 23, 
that  several  other  tribes,  as  Ephraira, 
Benjamin,  Manasseh,  and  Issachar, 
volunteered  recruits  on  the  occasion, 
while  those  that  withheld  them  are 
reproved,  and  Meroz  cursed  for 
taking  the  stand  of  neutrality;  but 
the  tribes  of  Zebulun  and  Naphtali 
are  more  especially  mentioned,  be- 
cause they  had  probably  been  the 
principal  suflerers  under  the  oppres- 
sive rule  of  Jabin,  and  were  nearer 
at  hand  to  the  scene  of  the  approach- 
ing conflict  than  any  of  the  rest.  In 
addition  to  this,  Barak  himself  was 
of  the  Iribe  of  Naphtali,  and  the  es- 
teem in  which  he  was  doubtless 
held,  would  naturally  bring  numbers 
of  them  to  his  standard. 

7.  And  I  will  dravy  unto  thee.  The 
same  word  as  that  employed  in  the 
preceding  verse  and  having  a  kind- 
red import.  God  would  '  draw  the 
hosts  of  Sisera  to  the  river  Kishon,' 
by  so  ordering  the  events  of  his  pro- 
vidence as  to  afford  motives  to  them 
to  concentrate"  in  all  their  force  at 
that  point.  They  were  not  to  be 
drawn  together  by  physical  but  by 
moral  influence.  Their  counsels 
were  to  be  so  overruled  by  a  secret 
divine  direction,  that  they  should 
result  in  their  being  brought  together 
at  that  place,  as  sheep  for  the  slaugh- 
ter, and  yet  their  utmost  freedom  of 
will  left  undisturbed.  '  When  God 
will  destroy  his  enemies  their  resis- 
tance is  in  vain ;  and  their  gathering 
to  battle  is  only  rushing  into  the 
snare.'  Haioeis.  IT  The  river  Kis- 
hon.    See  on  ch,  5.  21. 

8.  If  thou  wilt  go  with  me,  &c. 
By  making  his  obedienceconditional 
when  the  command  was  absolute, 
Barak  showed  that  his  faith  was 
marred  by  infirmity,  and  this  con- 


If  thou  wilt  go  with  me,  then  I 
will  go  :  but  if  thou  wilt  not  go 
with  me,  then  I  will  not  go. 

9  And  she  said,  I  will  surely 
go  with  thee  :  notwithstanding 
the  journey   that    thou    takest 


viction  is  confirmed  by  Deborah's 
answer  in  which  she  intimates  to 
him  that  he  shall  not  receive  the 
same  honor  or  ditsinction  from  the 
enterprise,  that  he  would  otherwise 
have  done.  In  like  manner,  Moses' 
lack  of  faith  when  ordered  to  go  up- 
on a  mission  to  Pharaoh,  led  God 
to  divide  the  honor  of  that  embassy 
with  Aaron,  which  would  otherwise 
have  redounded  to  Moses  alone,  Ex. 
4.  14.  Still  it  is  evident  from  the 
apostle's  commendation,  Heb.  11. 32, 
that  Barak  possessed  true  though 
u-eak  faith,  and  that  it  was  from  a 
profound  conviction  of  the  spirit  of 
God's  dwelling  and  speaking  in  De- 
borah, that  he  so  earnestly  desired 
her  presence.  Could  he  but  enjoy 
this,  he  would  feel  that  he  possessed 
a  pledge  and  earnest  of  the  divine 
blessing,  and  this  was  showing  a 
respect  to  God's  prophets,  which  im- 
plied a  genuine  faith,  and  was  no 
doubt  highly  acceptable  as  far  as  it 
went.  But  though  it  would  natually 
be  a  source  of  great  satisfaction  and 
encouragement  to  him,  to  have  the 
prophetess  with  him  to  animate  his 
soldiers,  and  to  be  consulted  as  an 
oracle  upon  all  occasions,  yet  it  is 
plain  that  he  ought  to  have  gone  di- 
rectly forward  without  her,  relying 
on  the  Godof  Deborah,  who  had  ex- 
pressly and  unconditionally  pro- 
mised him  the  victory,  v.  7.  How 
rare,  alas  !  is  simple  child-like  con- 
fidence in  God !  How  difficult  is  it 
for  men,  and  the  best  of  men,  to 
break  away  from  undue  dependance 
on  an  arm  of  flesh,  even  when  as- 
sured by  the  most  express  declaration 
of  God,  that  he  will  uphold  and  de- 
liver them,  and  be  to  them  more 
than  armies  of  strength,  or  muni- 
tions of  rocks ! 


222 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C. 1316. 


shall  not  be  for  thine  honor  ;  for 
the  Lord  shall  "sell  Sisera  into 
the  hand  of  a  woman.  And 
Deborah  arose,  and  went  with 
Barak  to  Kedesh. 


9.  I  will  surely  go  wilh  thee.  An 
indulgence  to  human  infirmity,  such 
as  the  divine  condescension  often 
afforded  to  liis  weak  and  wavering 
s  ervants.  Were  God's  thoughts  like 
ours  and  his  ways  like  ours,  he 
would  have  been  far  more  apt  to  dis- 
card Barak  altogether  and  say  to 
him,  that  if  he  had  not  faith  enough 
to  trust  the  promise  of  Him  who 
cannot  lie,  he  would  call  some  one 
to  the  service  who  had,  and  to  whom 
he  would  give  the  glory  of  an  ex- 
ploit which  he  had  in  so  cowardly 
a  manner  declined.  But  with  char- 
acteristic kindness  the  Most  High  is 
pleased  to  yield  somewhat  to  his 
perverseness,  and  Deborah,  under 
the  divine  prompting,  engages  to 
accompany  him.  While  the  parlies 
thus  seem  in  effect  to  have  changed 
sexes,  it  is  obviously  meet  that  some 
tokens  of  divine  disapprobation 
should  mark  Barak's  faint-hearted- 
ness,  and  he  is  consequently  told 
that  he  is  to  share  the  glory  of  the 
victory  with  a  weak  Avonan.  U 
T'he  journey  that  thou  tallest  shalt  not 
be  for  thine  honor.  Heb.  '  thine 
honor  shall  not  be  upon  the  way 
which  thou  goest.'  That  is,  prob- 
ably, the  way,  the  conduct,  the  course 
which  thou  art  proposing  in  this 
matter  shall  not  be  such  as  to  re- 
dound to  thy  credit.  If,  however,  it 
be  taken  as  read  in  our  translation, 
then  the  remark  of  Henry  may  be 
very  well  founded,  that '  so  confident 
was  she  of  success  that  she  calls  his 
engaging  in  the  war  but  the  under- 
taking of  a  journey.'  IT  The  Lord 
shall  sell  Sisera  into  the  hand  of  a 
woman.  Some  understand  this  of 
Deborah  herself,  but  we  think  the 
designed  allusion  is  to  Jael.  Of  her 
the  words  may  be  understood  liter- 
ally; applied  to  Deborah  they  can 
ojjly  be  explained  by  a  figure  of 


10  IF  And  Barak  called  °Zeb- 
ulun  and  Naphtali  to  Kedesh  ; 
and  he  went  up  with  ten  thou- 
sand men  Pat  his  feet :  and  De- 
borah went  up  with  him. 


18. 


See  Ex.  11.  8.    1  Kings  iO.  10. 


speech.  Besides,  if  spoken  of  Deb- 
orah, the  sentence  merely  declares 
what  he  knew  before  He  was  no 
doubt  aware  that  if  she  went  with 
him  it  would  diminish  the  credit  of 
his  success,  yet  notwithstanding  he 
was  sensible  of  this  he  insisted  upon 
her  accompanying  him.  But  in  re- 
gard to  the  part  Jael  was  to  act  in 
the  transaction,  he  of  course  knew 
nothing.  This  Avas  a  pure  predic- 
tion uttered  by  Deborah  in  the  spi- 
rit of  prophecy,  and  such  he  would 
understand  it  to  be  when  the  event 
was  accomplished.  U  Deborah — 
icent  with  Barak  to  Kedesh.  Con- 
sequently Barak  had  previously,  in 
obedience  to  her  summons,  left  Ke- 
desh and  repaired  to  her  at  her  res- 
idence between  Ramah  and  Beth-el. 
The  above  conversation  was  un- 
doubtedly held  by  the  parties  in  per- 
son after  they  met. 

10.  And  Barak  called  Zebulun  and 
Naphtali.  The  original  for  '  called' 
being  in  the  Hiphil  form,  properly 
signifies  caused  to  call,  i.  e.  assem- 
bled by  means  of  emissaries  sent 
among  the  tribes.  Whether  this 
was  done  as  some  suppose,  by  the 
blowing  of  trumpets,  the  common 
signal  for  war,  or  otherwise,  is  un- 
certain. IF  Went  up  with  ten  thou- 
sand men  at  his  feet.  Heb.  '  went 
np  with  his  feet  ten  thousand  men.' 
Such  is  the  literal  rendering  of  the 
original,  from  which  most  of  the 
versions  depart,  and  so  lose  the 
exact  shade  of  meaning  which  we 
conceive  the  words  intended  to  con- 
vey, viz.  that  the  ten  thousand  ac- 
companied him  with  as  much  alac- 
rity as  though  all  their  feet  had  be- 
longed to  his  body;  in  other  words, 
they  were  entirely  at  his  eontrol,  ob- 
sequious to  his  beck  and  bidding. 
The  phrase  may  appear  uncouth, 
but  it  is  highly  significant,  and  in  ail 


A.  C.  1316.] 


CHAPTER  IV. 


223 


11  Now  Hcber  ^the  Kenite, 
widch  loas  of  the  children  of 
■•Hobab  the  father-in-law  of  Mo- 
ses, had  severed  himself  from 
the  Kenites,  and  pitched  his  tent 
unto  the  plain  of  Zaanaim, 
*  which  is  by  Kedesh. 

12  And  they  showed  Sisera 
that  Barak  the  son  of  Abinoam 
was  gone  up  to  mount  Tabor. 

qch.  l.IG.        r  Num.  10.29.        3Ter.6. 


13  And  Sisera  gathered  to- 
gether ail  his  chariots,  even  nine 
hundred  chariots  of  iron,  and  all 
the  people  that  were  with  him, 
from  Harosheth  of  the  Gentiles 
unto  the  river  of  Kishon. 

14  And  Deborah  said  unto 
Barak,  Up  ;  for  this  is  the  day 
in  which  the  Lord  hath  deliv- 
ered Sisera  into  thy  hand  :   qs 

t  Dent.  9.  3.    2  Sam.  5.  i\.     Ps.  68.  7.    Is.  5^  12. 


cases  we  would  aim  to  adhere  as 
closely  as  practicable   to  the   very 
letter  of  the  original.     The   intel- 
ligent reader  would  prefer  to  know 
precisely  what  the  sacred  penman 
says,  and  then  to  be  left  to  put  such 
a  construction  upon  it  as  to  his  mind 
the  evidence  of  the  case  admits  or 
requires.     Comp.  ch.  5.  15.    8.  5. — 
'  The  phrase  '  men  at  his  feet,'  did 
not,  I  believe,  refer  to  any  particu- 
lar class  of  soldiers,  but  applied  to 
all,  whether  they  fought  in  chariots, 
on  horses,  or  on  foot.     This  form  of 
speech  is  used  in  eastern  books  to 
show  how  many  obey  or  serve  under 
the  general.     It  may  be  taken  from 
the  action  of  a  slave  being  prostrate 
at  the  feet  of  his  master,  denoting 
submission  or  obedience.     In    this 
way  devotees,  when  addressing  the 
gods,  always  speak  of  ihemseh'es  as 
being  at  their  feet.     When  the  Ori- 
entals speak  of  his  Majesty  of  Bri- 
tain, they  often  allude  to  the  millions 
who  are  at  his  feet.     The  governors, 
generals,  or  judges  in  the  East,  are 
said  to  have  the  people  of  such  coun- 
tries, or  armies,  or  districts,  at  their 
feet.    Nay.  it  is  common  for  mas- 
ters, and  people  of  small  possessions, 
to  speak  of  their  domestics  as  being 
at  their  feet.     It  is  therefore  heard 
every  day,  for  '  I  will  send  my  ser- 
vants,' en-kal-adiyila,  '  those  at  my 
feet.' '     Roberts. 

11.  No  10  Hcber  the  Kenite,  &c. 
This  verse  comes  in  here  parenthet- 
ically to  prepare  the  way  for  what  is 
soon  to  be  said  about  Jael,  a  woman 
of  this  family.    It  would  otherwise 


seem  singular  that  when  the  writer 
had  before  said  ch.  1.  16,  that  this 
family  had  passed  into  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  and  was  dwelling  in  the  wil- 
derness south  of  Arad,  that  one  of 
the  stock  was  found  abiding  so  far 
north  as  the  tribe  of  Naphtali.  He 
accounts  for  it  by  saying  that  the  in- 
dividual in  question  had  emigrated 
to  a  distance  from  his  brethren. 
The  verse  should  have  been  inclu- 
ded in  the  usual  marks  of  a  paren- 
thesis. H  Pitched  his  tent  unto. 
That  is,  gradually  shifted  his  habi- 
tation towards.  See  on  Gen.  13. 12. 
He  doubtless  followed  the  nomade 
mode  of  life. 

12.  And  they  showed  Sisera.  A 
common  idiom  for  'it  was  told  Sise- 
ra.'    See  on  Gen.  16.  14. 

13.  Gathered  together.  The  same 
word  in  the  original  with  that  spoken 
of  Barak  v.  10,  and  there  rendered 
'  called.'  In  both  cases  it  means  to 
assemble  by  proclaviation.  IT  Unto 
the  rii-cr  Kishon.  That  is,  gathered 
unto  the  river  Kishon.  The  writer 
is  not  giving  the  boundaries  of  the 
several  nations  that  were  confed- 
erate with  Sisera,  nor  stating  that 
they  extended  from  Harosheth  of 
the  Gentiles  unto  the  river  Kishon. 

14.  Hath  delivered  Sisera  into  thy 
hand.  Will  as  certainly  deliver  as 
if  it  were  already  done.'  By  Sisera 
here  is  meant  his  army,  for  as  to 
Sisera  himself,  he  was  not  delivered 
into  the  hand  of  Barak,  but  of  Jael, 
as  Deborah  had  before  announced, 
V.  9.  IT  Is  not  the  Lord  gone  out 
before  thee.    As  God  had  expres.sly 


JUDGES. 


:[A.  C.13I6. 


not  the  Lord  gone  out  before 
thee  ?  So  Barak  went  down 
from  mount  Tabor,  and  ten  thou- 
sand men  after  him. 

15  And   "the  Lord   discom- 
fited Sisera,  and  all  his  chariots, 

u  P£.  8.'.  3,  10.         See  Joeh.  10.  10. 


said  V.  7,  that  he  would  draw  Sise- 
ra's  army  with  his  chariois  and  his 
multitudes  together  to  the  river  Ki- 
shon,  and  then  deliver  them  into  Ba- 
rak's hand,  so  Deborah  in  these 
words  simply  intimates  that  God 
had  thus  far  been  as  good  as  his  pro- 
mise, that  he  had  gone  out  belbre 
Barak  in  the  sense  of  putting  every 
thing  in  readiness  for  his  achieving 
the  promised  victory.  The  Lord's 
going  before  one  in  battle,  when 
thus  explained  is  equivalent  to  ma- 
king sure  a  successjul  result.  So  2 
Sam.  5.  24,  '  And  let  it  be  when  thou 
heare.st  the  sound  of  a  going  in  the 
tops  of  the  mulberr}'  trees,  that  then 
thou  shall  bestir  th3'self;  for  then 
shall  the  Lord  go  out  before  thee,  to 
smite  the  host  of  the  "Philistines. ' 
Nothing  so  encourages  a  good  man 
in  the  way  of  duty  or  of  danger,  as 
the  conviction  that  the  Lord  goes 
before  him  and  that  he  is  acting  un- 
der his  direction.  IT  Barak  went 
down  from  the  mount.  Instead  of 
making  it  his  chief  object  to  main- 
tain the  post  which  he  had  chosen, 
Avith  all  its  advantages,  on  the  top  of 
the  mount  v%'here  he  was  completely 
unassailable  by  the  enemy's  iron 
chariots,  he  heroically  sallies  down 
to  the  level  plain  with  his  far  infe- 
rior force,  in  order  that  by  giving 
Sisera  every  advantage  the  glory  of 
the  victory  to  be  achieved  over  him 
might  bs  so  much  the  greater. 

15.  The  Lord  discomfUed  Sisera. 
Or,  as  the  Heb.  implies  confounded, 
threw  them  into  disorder,  drove  them 
tmnuUuouslij  together  causing  char- 
iots to  break  and  overthrow  chariots, 
and  horses  and  men  to  be  mingled 
in  their  fall  in  wild  confusion.  It 
w^as  not  so  much  the  bold  and  unex-  : 
peeled  charge  of  Barak  that  produ- 
ced this  effec',  as  a    supernatural  I 


and  all  his  host,  with  t'ne  edge 
of  the  sword  before  Barak  ;  so 
that  Sisera  lighted  down  off 
his  chariot,  and  fled  away  on 
his  feet. 

16  But  Barak  pursued  after 


panic,  a  terror  from  God,  that  seized 
their  spirits,  threw  them  into  irre- 
trievable confusion,  and  made  them 
an  easy  prey  to  the  sword.     It  is 
said  ch.  5.  20,  that  '  the  stars  from 
heaven  fought  against  Sisera,'  and 
Josephus  gives  the  following  very 
probable    account    of    the    terrific 
scene.     '  When  the-y  were  come  to 
j  a  close  fight,  there  came  down  from 
I  heaven  a  great  storm,  with  a  vast 
I  quantity  of  rain  and  hail,  and  the 
!  wind  blew  the  rain  in  the  face  of  the 
Canaanites,  and  so  darkened  their 
eyes,  their  arrows  and  slings  were 
of  no  advantage  to  them;  nor  would 
the  coldness  of  the  air  permJl  the 
soldiers  to  make  use  of  their  swords, 
while  this  storm  did  not  so  much  in- 
commode the  Israelites,  because  it 
came  on  their  backs.     They   also 
took  such  courage  upon  the  appre- 
hension that  God  was  assisting  them, 
that  they  fell  upon  the  very  midsi  of 
their  enemies,  and  slew  a  great  num- 
ber of  tliem,  so  that  some  of  them 
fell  by  the  Israelites,  some   fell  by 
their  own  horses  which  were  put 
into  disorder,  and  not  a  few  Avere 
killed  bj'  their  own  chariots.'     Ant, 
B.   V.   ch.    5.         IT  Sisera    lighted 
down — and  fled  away  on  his    feet. 
To  guard  more  effectually  against 
being  discovered.     Had  he  fled  in 
his  chariot  he  would  have  been  lia- 
ble to  be  recognised  and  taken  or 
.slain.     '  His  chariots  had  been  his 
pride  and  his  confidence  •    and  we 
)nay  suppose  that  he  had  therefore 
despised  and  defied  the  armies  of  the 
living  God,  because  they  were  all  on 
foot,   and  had  neither  chariot    nor 
horse,  as  he  had;  justly  therefore  is 
he  made  ashamed  of  his  confidence, 
and  forced  to  quit  it,  and  thinks  him- 
self then  most  safe  and  easy  when 
he    has  got  clear    of   his    chariot. 


A.  C.  1316.] 


CHAPTER  IV. 


225 


the  chariots,  and  after  the  host, 
unto  Harosheth  of  the  Gentiles  : 
and  all  the  host  of  Sisera  fell 

Thus  they  are  disappointed  who 
rest  on  the  creature.'     Henry. 

16.  Fell  upon  the  edge  of  tkesiDord. 
Rather,  fell  by  the  edge  of  the  sword. 
IT  There  loas  not  a  yuan  left.  Heb. 
•  there  was  not  left  unto  one.'  Jose- 
phus  says  that  Sisera's  army  on  this 
occasion  consisted  of  three  hundred 
thousand  footmen,  ten  thousand 
horsemen,  and  three  thousand  char- 
iots. Of  these  only  nine  hundred 
may  have  been  iron  chariots,  as 
stated  by  the  sacred  historian. 

17.  To  the  tent  of  Joel,  the  wife  of 
Heber  the  Kenitc  That  is,  proba- 
bly, to  Jael's  apartment  of  the  tent, 
the  harem,  the  women's  quarters. 
'  We  must  consider  these  Kenites  as 
Arabs,  and  estimate  their  proceed- 
ings accordingly.  Sisera's  claim  on 
Jael,  in  the  absence  of  Heber,  was 
perfectly  proper.  When  a  stranger 
comes  to  an  Arab  camp,  where  he 
has  no  acquaintance,  he  proceeds  to 
the  first  tent,  and  if  the  proprietor  is 
absent,  his  wife  and  daughters  are 
not  only  authorised,  but  required,  to 
perform  the  duties  of  hospitality  to 
nim.  As  a  character  for  liberal  hos- 
pitality is  an  actual  distinction  of  an 
Arab,  no  one  can  with  honor  repel 
from  the  tent  a  stranger  who  claims 
hospitality,  nor,  in  ordinary  circum- 
stances, does  any  one  desire  to  do 
so;  on  the  contrary,  there  is  rather 
a  disposition  to  contend  who  shall 
enjoy  the  privilege  of  granting  him 
entertainment.  In  the  present  in- 
stance Sisera's  application  to  the 
tent  of  the  Sheikh,  whose  privilege 
it  more  especially  was  to  entertain 
strangers,  was  in  the  common  course 
of  things.  As  belonging  to  a  friend- 
ly people,  Sisera's  claim  for  protec- 
tion was  as  valid  as  a  common  claim 
for  hospitality,  and  could  not  be  re- 
fused. Having  once  promised  pro- 
tection to  a  person,  and  admitted  him 
to  his  lent,  the  Arab  is  bound,  not 
only  to  conceal  his  guest,  but  to  de- 

n,  e 
20 


upon  the  edge   of  the   sword  ; 
and  there  was  not  a  man  left. 
17  Howbeit,  Sisera  fled  away 


his  pursuers;  and  if  his  tent  should 
be  forced  and  his  guest  slain  there, 
it  is  his  duty  to  become  the  avenger 
of  his  blood.  On  these  sentiments 
of  honor  Sisera  seems  to  have  re- 
lied ;  particularly  after  Jael  had 
supplied  him  with  refreshments, 
which,  in  the  highest  sense,  are  re- 
garded as  a  seal  to  the  covenant  of 
peace  and  safety :  and  in  fact,  after 
all  this  an  Arab  wonld  be  bound  to 
protect  with  his  own  life  even  his 
bitterest  enemy,  to  whom  he  may  in- 
advertently have  granted  his  protec- 
tion. It  is  probable  that  Jael  intro- 
duced Sisera  for  safety  into  the  in- 
ner or  woman's  part  of  the  tent. 
This  she  might  do  without  impro- 
priety, although  it  would  be  the 
most  grievous  insult  for  any  man  to 
intrude  there  without  permission. 
Sisera  appears  to  have  felt  quite  cer- 
tain that  the  pursuers  would  not  dare 
search  the  harem,  and  indeed  it  is 
almost  certain  that  they  would  not 
have  done  so ;  for  the  Hebrews  had 
too  long  and  too  recently  been  them- 
selves a  nomade  people,  not  to  have 
known  that  a'more  heinous  and  in- 
expiable insult  could  not  be  offered 
to  the  neutral  Kenite  Emir,  than  to 
disturb  the  sanctity  of  his  harem,  or 
even  to  enter,  unpermitted,  the  outer 
part  of  his  tent.  We  very  much 
doubt  whether  they  would  have  ven- 
tured, even  if  they  had  been  certain 
that  Sisera  was  there,  to  have  enter- 
ed to  kill  him,  or  take  him  thence, 
while  under  Heber's  protection. 
This  is  an  answer  to  Bp.  Patrick, 
who  would  have  recommended  Jael 
not  to  have  been  so  hasty  to  act  her- 
self, but  to  have  waited  till  the  pur- 
suers came  and  took  him.  They 
could  not  take  him,  or  even  search 
for  him,  without  inflicting  on  Heber 
a  dishonor  worse  than  death ;  nei- 
ther could  Jael  have  given  him  up 
to  them  without  bringing  everlasting 
infamy' upon  her  family  and  tribe.' 
Pict.  Bible.        IT  There  was  peace 


226 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1316. 


on  his  feet  to  the  tent  of  Jael  the 
wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite :  for 
there  was  peace  between  Jabin 
the  king  of  Hazor  and  the  house 
of  Heber  the  Kenite. 

18  IT  And  Jael  went  out  to 

between  Jabin — and  the  house  of  He- 
ber. That  is,  there  was  no  war ;  not 
that  there  was  any  league  offensive 
or  defensive  between  them,  but  they 
were  not,  like  the  Israelites,  objects 
of  hostility  to  Jabin.  The  Ken- 
ites,  though  they  were  proselytes 
and  worshipped  the  true  God  ac- 
cording to  the  Mosaic  law,  yet  as 
they  were  strangers  by  birth  and 
laid  claim  to  no  inheritance  in  the 
promised  land,  they  seem  to  have 
deemed  it  the  best  policy ,  in  the  midst 
of  the  contentions  around  them,  to 
preserve  a  strict  neutrality  and 
maintain  peace,  as  far  as  possible, 
both  with  the  Israelites  and  the  Ca- 
naanites ;  and  as  their  quiet,  harm- 
less way  of  life  exempted  them  from 
suspicion,  Jabin  appears  to  have  of- 
fered them  no  molestation.  It  was 
doubtless  on  these  grounds  that 
Sisera  thought  of  taking  refuge 
among  them,  not  considering,  says 
Henry,  that  though  they  themselves 
did  not  suffer  by  Jabm's  power,  yet 
they  heartily  sympathized  with 
God's  Israel  that  did. 

18.  Turn  in,  my  lord,  turn  in  to 
me.  Perhaps  no  more  appropriate 
comment  can  be  furnished  on  these 
words,  than  the  following  extract 
from  Pococke,  giving  an  account  of 
the  manner  in  which  he  was  treated 
in  an  Arab  tent  on  his  journey  to  Je- 
rusalem : — '  My  conductor  led  me 
two  or  three  miles  to  his  tent,  and 
there  he  sat  with  his  wife  and  others 
round  a  fire.  The  Arabs  are  not  so 
scrupulous  as  the  Turks  about  their 
women  ;  and  though  they  have  their 
harem,  or  women's  part  of  the  tent, 
yet  such  as  they  aie  acquainted  with 
come  into  it.  I  was  kept  in  the  ha- 
rem for  greater  security;  the  wife 
being  always  with  me,  7io  stranger 
even  daring  to  come  into  the  women's 
apartment   unless   introduced."    So 


meet  Sisera,  and  said  unto  him, 
Turn  in,  my  lord,  turn  in  to  me ; 
fear  not.  And  when  he  had 
turned  in  unto  her  into  the  tent, 
she  covered  him  with  a  mantle. 
19  And    he   said    unto    her, 


Jael  invited  Sisera  to  take  refuge  in 
her  own  tent,  or  in  her  division  of 
her  husband's  tent,  into  which  no 
stranger  might  presume  to  enter,  and 
where  he  naturally  supposed  him- 
self to  be  in  perfect  safety.  There 
is  undoubtedly  an  apparent  treachery 
in  the  conduct  of  Jael  on  this  occa- 
sion, but  the  probability  is  that  she 
was  moved  by  a  divirie  impulse  to  ex- 
ecute the  deed  she  did.  At  first  in- 
deed on  inviting  him  into  the  tent, 
she  may  have  intended  no  more  than 
the  ordinary  hospitalities  which  the 
Orientals  have  ever  been  accustomed 
to  show  to  strangers  and  travellers, 
nor  is  it  certain  that  she  was  even 
aware  who  he  was,  till  after  he  had 
entered  the  tent.  When  she  had  as- 
certained this,  the  most  natural  con- 
clusion certainly  is,  reasoning  from 
the  nature  of  woman,  that  she  would 
have  suffered  him  to  lie  still  till  Ba- 
rak who  was  on  the  pursuit  had 
come  up,  or  would  in  some  way 
have  communicated  information  of 
his  hiding-place  to  the  Israelites. 
To  fall  upon  him  herself,  unaided 
and  alone,  would  appear  to  have  been 
an  exploit  surpassing  female  forti- 
tude, and  would  have  been  a  conduct 
so  decidedly  and  pointedly  opposed 
to  all  the  principles  of  honor  by 
which  Orientals  are  governed,  that 
we  know  not  how  to  account  for  it, 
unless  she  had  been  prompted  by  a 
suggestion  from  above,  and  this  in- 
ference would  seem  to  be  confirmed, 
both  by  the  fact  that  it  had  been  ex- 
pressly predicted  that  Sisera  should 
be  delivered  into  the  hand  of  a  wo- 
man, and  by  the  eulogium  of  Debo- 
rah, ch.  5.  24, '  Blessed  above  women 
shall  Jael  the  wife  of  Heber  the  Ke- 
nite be,  blessed  shall  she  be  above 
women  in  the  tent,'  on  which  see 
note.  If  this  were  the  case,  she  is 
sufficiently  vindicated  by  the  fact, 


A.  C.  1316.] 


CHAPTER  IV. 


227 


Give  me,  I  pray  thee,    a  little 
water  to  drink  ;  for  I  am  thirsty 
And  she   opened    ^a    bottle     of 
milk,  and  gave  him  drink,  and 
covered  him. 

20  Again  he  said  unto  her, 
Stand  in  the  door  of  the  tent, 
and  it  shall  be,  when  any  man 
doth  come  and  inquire  of  thee, 
and  say,  Is  there  any  man  here  ? 
that  thou  shalt  say,  No. 

21  Then  Jael   Heber's  wife 


for  God  has  a  right  to  dispose  of  the 
lives  of  his  creatures  as  he  pleases, 
as  we  see  in  the  case  of  Eglon  in  the 
preceding  chapter ;  and  probably  the 
cup  ofSisera's  iniquity  was  full,  and 
his  life  already  forfeited  to  divine 
justice.  On  the  whole,  therefore, 
the  presumption  is,  that  Jael  did 
right,  yet  as  the  case  was  wholly  ex- 
traordinary, it  can  never  be  estab- 
lished as  a  precedent  for  others. 
IT  Covered  Aim  with  a  mantle.  Or,  a 
quilt,  rug,  or  blanket. 

19.  Opened  a  bottle  of  milk  and 
gave  him  drink.  As  if  this  were  a 
more  palatable  draught  than  water. 
By  thus  doing  more  for  him  than  he 
requested,  she  evinced  a  kinder  care 
for  his  comfort  and  increased  his 
confidence  and  security.  Josephus 
says  it  was  '  sour  milk,'  which  is  not 
unlikely,  as  that  is  considered  in  the 
East  a  very  grateful  and  cooling 
drink.     See  on  ch.  5.  25. 

20.  Thou  shalt  say,  No.  It  does 
not  appeal"  however  that  Jael  prom- 
ised to  deny  his  being  there.  Our 
regard  for  others  may  prompt  us  to 
many  acts  of  kindness  for  them,  but 
there  is  a  point  beyond  which  we 
must  not  go.  A  fearer  of  God  will 
not  listen  to  a  request  that  would  in- 
volve the  commission  of  sin,  especi- 
ally the  sin  of  falsehood.  The  cus- 
tom adopted  in  some  families  of  in- 
structing servants  to  say,  '  Not  at 
home/  when  a  master  or  mistress 
does  not  wish,  to  receive  companvj  is 


ytook  a  nail  of  the  tent,  and  took 
a  hammer  in  her  hand,  and  went 
softly  unto  him,  and  smote  the 
nail  into  his  temples,  and  fasten- 
ed it  into  the  ground  :  for  he 
was  fast  asleep,  and  weary.  So 
he  died. 

22  And  behold,  as  Barak  pur- 
sued Sisera,  Jael  came  out  to 
meet  him,  and  said  unto  him, 
Come,  and  I  will  show  thee  the 
man  whom  thou  seekest.     And 

y  ch.  5.  26. 


directly  at  variance  with  the  dictates 
of  Christian  simplicity  and  sincerity, 
nor  is  it  any  thing  in  its  favor  that 
it  here  has  the  sanction  of  a  wicked, 
heathen  warrior  doomed  to  destruc- 
tion. The  practice  of  prevarication 
thus  inculcated  upon  servants  may 
be  expected  to  react  upon  those  who 
employ  them  ;  for  if  they  are  taught 
to  lie  for  others  they  will  be  very  apt 
to  do  it  for  themselves. 

21.  Took  a  nail  of  the  tent.  One 
of  those  long  sharp  pins  or  spikes 
which  were  driven  into  the  ground, 
and  to  which  cords  were  attached  to 
stretch  the  cloth  of  the  tent  and  keep 
it  firmly  secured.  They  were  prob- 
ably made  of  iron;  Josephus  calls 
this  an 'iron  nail,'  Shaw,  describ- 
ing the  tents  of  the  Bedouin  Arabs, 
says,  '  these  tents  are  kept  firm  and 
steady,  by  bracing  or  stretching 
down  their  eaves  with  cords  tied 
down  to  hooked  wooden  pins  well 
pointed,  which  they  drive  into  the 
ground  with  a  mallet ;  one  of  these 
pins  answering  to  the  nail,  as  the 
mallet  does  to  the  hammer,  which 
Jael  used  in  fastening  to  the  ground 
the  temples  of  Sisera.'  IT  Took  a 
hammer  in  her  hind.  Heb.  '  put  an 
hammer  in  her  hand.'  As  tents 
were  often  moved  she  had  probably 
acquired  an  expertness  in  the  use  of 
the  implements  necessary  for  fasten- 
ing and  unfastening  them.  ^  And 
fastened  it  i^ito  the  ground.  Heb. 
'  and  it  went  down,  penetrated,  to  the 


228 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1296. 


when  he  came  into  her  tent,  be- 
hold, Sisera  lay  dead,  and  the 
nail  7fas  in  his  temples. 

23  So  ^God  subdued  on  that 
day  Jabin  the  king  of  Canaan 
before  the  children  of  Israel. 

24  And  the  hand  of  the  child- 
ren of  Israel  prospered,  and  pre- 


groiind.'  The  verb  i^  neuter  and 
should  be  referred  to  the  pin  rather 
than  to  Jael. 

23.  Subdued — Jahin  the  king  of 
Canaan.  There  is  in  the  original 
an  apparent  paranomasia,  or  play 
upon  words,  of  which  the  English 
reader  entirely  loses  sight.  The 
Heb.  word  for  '  subdue'  and  that  for 
'  Canaan'  are  from  the  same  root; 
as  if  it  were  said  'he  humbled  the 
son  of  humiliation;'  he  made  good 
the  destiny  of  s-j/.Z^'?/ if r//io?i  implied  in 
the  very  name  '  Canaan.' 

24.  Prospered  and. prevailed.  Heb. 
'  going,  went,  and  was  hard.'  On  the 
use  of  the  verb  '  to  go,  or  to  walk' 
for  the  gradual  increase  or  progres- 
sion of  any  thing,  see  on  Gen.  3.  8. 
From  this  event  was  to  be  dated  the 
complete  deliverance  of  Israel  from 
the  yoke  of  Jabin.  Having  suffered 
so  severely  by  their  guilty  and  fool- 
ish forbearance  towards  their  ene- 
mies, they  now  resolve  to  tolerate 
Ihem  no  longer,  but  to  make  an  effec- 
tual riddance  of  them,  as  a  people  to 
whom  no  mercy  w^as  to  be  shown 
"Without  equally  offending  God  and 
endangering  their  own  interests.  It 
was  probably  with  an  eye  to  the  ju- 
dicial sentence  under  which  these 
devoted  nations  lay,  that  this  formi- 
dable enemy  in  the  space  of  two 
verses  is  three  times  called  'king  of 
Canaan;'  for  as  such  he  was  to  be 
destroyed,  and  so  thoroughly  icas  he 
destroyed,  that  the  title  '  king  of  Ca- 
naan' occurs  not  again  in  the  subse- 
quent naricttive, 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  subject  matter  of  the  present 
chapter  is  the  triumphal  song,  sung 


vailed  against  Jabin  the  king  of 
Canaan,  until  they  haddestoyed 
Jabin  king;  of  Canaan. 


CHAPTER  V. 
npHEN    ^sang   Deborah     and 
-^  Barak  the  son  of  Abinoam 
on  that  day,  saying, 


1  See  £x  15.  I.     Ps. 


by  Deborah  and  Barak,  on  occasion 
of  the  signal  victory  above  recorded 
of  the  forces  of  Israel  over  the 
armies  of  Jabin  and  Sisera.  The 
spirit  of  prophecy  is  nearly  allied  to 
the  spirit  of  poetry,  and  when  the 
efforts  of  genius  are  heightened  by 
the  prompting  of  inspiration,  we 
may  reasonably  look  for  results  that 
shall  distance  all  human  competition. 
Nor  in  the  present  instance  shall  we 
look  in  vain.  Considered  merely 
as  a  specimen  of  lyric  composition, 
this  ode  of  Deborah  may  challenge 
comparison  with  the  finest  effusions 
of  the  classic  muse  of  any  age  or 
country.  Though  occasionally  ob- 
scure in  the  original,  and  in  the 
English  translation,  in  some  in- 
stances, scarcely  intelligible,  yet  it 
evidently  breathes  the  highest  spirit 
of  poetry.  Its  strains  are  lofty  and 
impassioned,  its  images  bold,  varied, 
and  lively,  its  diction  singularly 
happy,  and  it  is  pervaded  through- 
out bv  a  vein  of  mingled  beau,ty  and 
sublimity  to  be  found  in  the  bards  of 
inspiration  only.  Borne  away  by 
the  ecstasy  and  energy  of  the  divine 
impulse,  she  breaks  forth  in  the  most 
abrupt  and  impassioned  appeals,  and 
personifications ;  at  one  moment, 
soaring  upwards  towards  heaven, 
and  then  returning  to  earth ;  now 
touching  upon  the  present,  and  now 
upon  the  past ;  and  finally  closing 
with  the  grand  promise  and  result 
of  all  prophecy,  and  of  all  the  deal- 
ings of  God's  providence,  the  over- 
throw of  the  wicked,  and  the  triumph 
of  the  good.  In  arranging  the  course 
and  connection  of  the  thoughts  in  th^ 
poem,  the  following  divisions  may 
be  easily  and  naturally  traced, 


A.  C.  1296.] 


CHAPTER  V. 


229 


2  Praise  ye  the  Lord  for  the 
^avenging  of  Israel,  "=when  the 

b  Ps.  18.  47.  c2Chr.  17.  16. 

(1.)  A  devout  thanksgiving  for 
the  burst  of  patriotic  feeling,  which 
led  the  nation  to  rise  and  avenge 
their  wrongs,  with  a  summons  to 
the  heathen  kings  to  listen  to  her 
song  of  triumph  over  their  allies. 
V,  1—3. 

(2.)  A  description  of  the  magni- 
ficent scenes  at  mount  Sinai,  and  in 
the  plains  of  Edom,  when  the  Most 
High  manifested  himself  in  behalf 
of  his  people,  exerting  his  miracu- 
lous power  to  bring  them  into  the 
promised  land.    v.  4,  5. 

(3.)  A  graphic  sketch  of  the  de- 
gradation and  oppression  under 
which  the  nation  groaned  in  conse- 
quence of  their  apostacy  ,  the  inse- 
curity of  travelling  and  desertion  of 
the  villages  during  a  twenty  years' 
servitude,     v.  6 — 8. 

(4.)  The  contrast  to  this  exhibit- 
ed in  their  present  happy  state  of 
security  from  the  incursions  and  de- 
predations of  their  enemies,  especi- 
ally at  the  watering  places,  which 
were  most  exposed,  and  a  vivid  in- 
vocation to  herself  and  Barak,  as 
well  as  others,  to  join  in  a  song  of 
praise  and  triumph  to  the  Author  of 
their  deliverance,     v.  9 — 13. 

(5.)  A  commendation  of  such  of 
the  tribes  as  volunteered  on  the  oc- 
casion, and  a  stern  rebuke  of  those 
which  ignobly  remained  at  home. 
V.  14—18. 

(6.)  A  glowing  description  of  the 
of  the  battle,  and  an  invocation  of 
curses  on  the  inhabitants  of  Meroz, 
for  not  coming  up  to  the  help  of 
their  brethren  in  the  time  of  their 
extremity,    v.  19. — 23. 

(7.)  A  eulogy  upon  Jael  with 
a  vivid  description  of  the  circum- 
stances of  Sisera's  death,    v.  24 — 27. 

(8.)  A  highly  poetical  change  in 
the  imagery,  in  which  the  mother  of 
Sisera  is  introduced  in  anxious  im- 
patience for  her  son's  return,  and 
confidently  anticipating  the  success- 
ful issae  of  the  engagement;  con- 
cluding with  a  solemn  apostrophe  to 
20* 


people   willingly  offered  them- 
selves. 


God,  praying  that  all  his  enemies  may 
perish  in  like  manner,  and  express- 
ing the  assurance  that  all  that  love 
him  shall  at  last  gloriously  triumph. 
V.  28—31. 

1.  Then  sang  Deborah  and  Barak. 
Heb.  '  then  sang  she,  Deborah,  and 
Barak.'  The  verb  is  in  the  fern, 
sing,  in  order  to  give  the  precedency 
to  Deborah,  as  is  also  the  case  in  the 
song  of  Miriam,  Num.  12.  1.  It  is 
not,  perhaps,  necessary  to  suppose 
that  Deborah  and  Barak  were  the 
only  singers  on  this  occasion.  The 
probability  is,  that  it  was  composed 
by  Deborah,  and  sung  under  her 
and  Barak's  direction  by  the  as- 
sembled hosts  of  Israel,  or  by  a  choir 
of  priests  and  Levites,  shortly  after 
the  victory.  The  phrase  '  on  that 
day,'  does  not  necessarily  restrict  us 
to  the  precise  day  of  the  battle,  but 
according  to  Heb.  usage  may  imply 
simply  '  about  that  time.' 

2.  Praise  ye  the  Lord.  Heb.  *  bless 
ye  the  Lord  ;'  i.  e.  by  suitable  ascrip- 
tions of  praise  and  thanksgiving.  IT 
For  theavenging  of  Israel.  The  inter- 
pretation of  die  original  phrase  is  at- 
tended with  great  difficulties.  With- 
out attempting  to  exhibit  at  length 
the  various  modes  of  rendering 
adopted  by  different  commentators, 
it  may  be  sufficient  to  remark,  that 
the  several  ideas  of  delivering,  of 
avenging,  of  commanding  and  lead- 
ing in  war,  have  had  their  respec- 
tive advocates  among  them.  We 
know  of  no  guide  to  the  true  sense 
but  that  of  prevailing  usage,  and 
even  that  is  not  easily  ascertained. 
We  believe,  however,  that  it  will  be 
found  by  accurate  analysis,  that  the 
leading  idea  of  the  verb  y^t^  is  to 
free,  to  let  loose,  to  let  break  away, 
as  the  locks  of  hair,  when  the  head- 
gear is  taken  off,  or  a  licentious  peo- 
ple when  the  restraints  of  law  and 
order  are  removed,  and  thence  by 
natural  derivation,  to  make  naked,  to 
uncover,  and  also  to  exempt,  to  make 
one  clear  of.     In  nearly  every  in- 


230 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1296. 


3 

ear. 


^Hear,  O  ye  kings ;   give 
,   O    ye   princes;  I,  even   I, 
will  sing  unto  the  Lord  ;  I  will 

d  De«t  32.  1,  3.       Ps.  2.  10. 

Stance  in  which  the  word  occurs  the 
idea  of  loosing,  getting  or  setting 
free,  exemption,  is  someway  involv- 
ed, and  perhaps  the  most  correct 
rendering,  in  the  present  passage, 
would  be  For  the  freeing  of  freedoms, 
or.  For  the  breaking  away  of  emanci- 
pations, i.e.  for  the  successful  efforts 
of  the  people  to  extricate  themselves 
from  the  yoke  of  their  oppressors, 
praise  ye  the  Lord.  The  predomin- 
ant import  is  that  of  breaking  aifay 
from  bonds,  and  this  idea  falls  in 
very  naturally  with  that  of  the  par- 
allel clause,  viz.  of  offering  them- 
selves willingly  in  order  to  effect 
their  deliverance  ;  and  as  the  act  of 
a  people  in  asserting  their  freedom, 
can  hardly  be  conceived  of  as  sepa- 
rate from  that  of  punishing  their  op- 
pressors, it  is  probable  that  the  sense 
oi avenging  has  been  in  this  way  not 
unnaturally  affixed  by  interpreters 
to  the  original  term.  The  error, 
however,  in  our  translation  is  in  re- 
ferring directly  to  God,  what  is  real- 
ly represented  as  the  acting  of  the 
people.  ^  Of  Israel.  Heb."  in  Is- 
rael ;'  i.  e.  aniongthe  Israelites. 

3.  Hear,  O  ye  kings,  &c.  The 
kings  and  princes  here  addressed 
may  be  understood  of  the  princes  of 
Israel,  and  then  it  is  merely  a  de- 
claration to  them,  that  the  prophetess 
is  about  to  begin  a  song  of  triumph, 
in  which  it  is  implied  that  they 
should  join.  But  as  kings  would 
seem  to  be  too  lofty  a  title  to  be  ap- 
plied to  the  leaders  and  elders  of  Is- 
rael, even  in  the  elevated  style  of 
poetry,  the  preferable  interpretation 
is  to  regard  it  as  an  address  to  the 
kings  and  potentates  of  Canaan, 
summoning  their  attention  to  the 
song  of  triumph  about  to  be  celebrat- 
ed over  them.  The  Greek  version 
renders  it,  *  Hear,  O  kings, and  give 
ear,  O  satraps;'  the  Clialdee,  'At- 
tend ye  kings,  who  came  to  the  war 
with  Sisera,  and3'e  rulers,  who  were 


sing  praise  to  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel. 

4  Lord,  "when  thou  wentest 

e  Deut.  33.  2.        Ps.  63.  7. 


with  Jabin,  king  of  Canaan  ;'  which 
shows  that  they  understood  the 
words  as  referring  to  foreign  princes, 
and  thus  the  very  same  terms  are 
used,  Ps.  2.  2.  The  import  of  the 
latter  clause  is,  that  '  I,  even  I,  a 
feeble  woman,  celebrate  your  over- 
throw,' and  her  leading  drift  is  to 
admonish  them,  that  however  high 
and  mighty  they  may  deem  them- 
selves, yet  there  is  one  above  them 
with  whom  it  is  folly  to  contend,  and 
to  whom,  they  should  be  warned  by 
Sisera's  fate  to  submit  without  dar- 
ing hereafter  to  offer  insult  to  a 
people,  whose  cause  sooner  or  later 
omnipotence  would  plead. 

4.  Wken  thou  wentest  out  of  Seir. 
After  declaring  that  Jehovah  should 
be  the  object  of  her  praise,  the  pro- 
phetess, by  a  sudden  apostrophe  ad- 
dresses him  not  as  their  present  de- 
liverer, but  as  the  God  who  had  for- 
merly manifested  his  miraculous 
power  in  their  behalf,  while  on  the 
way  from  Fgj'pt  to  the  land  of  pro- 
mise. By  comparing  the  former 
signal  displays  of  the  divine  majesty 
with  the  present,  she  would  have 
her  hearers  infer  that  it  was  the  same 
power  that  had  7i.07r  subdued  their  en- 
emies, which  prostrated  them  then  ; 
that  it  was  the  same  goodness  which 
had  now  restored  to  them  the  free 
enjoyment  of  their  land,  that  had  at 
first  put  them  in  possession  of  it. 
The  phrases,  '  when  thou  wentest 
out  of  Seir,  and  '  when  thou  march-  jj 
edst  out  of  the  field  Edom,'  are  \ 
merely  an  instance  of  poetic  paral- 
lelism, Seir  and  Edom  denoting  the 
same  country ;  that  is  to  say,  the 
mountainous  region  stretching  from 
the  southern  extremity  of  the  Dead 
Sea  southwards  towards  the  Elan- 
itic  gulf.  Here,  however,  as  well 
as  Deut.  33.  2,  it  appears  to  be  taken 
in  a  wider  sense  as  including  mount 
Sinai,  the  scene  of  the  giving  of  the 
law,  and  of  the  grand  and  awful  dis- 


A.  C.  1296.] 


CHAPTER  V. 


231 


out  of  Seir,  when  thou  march- 
edst  out  of  the  field  of  Edom, 
fthe  earth  trembled,  and  the 
heavens  dropped,  the  clouds  also 
dropped  water. 

f  2  Sam.  22.  S.    Ps.  68.  S.     Is.  64.  3.     Hab.  3.  3,  10. 


plays  of  the  majesty  of  Jehovah  by 
which  it  was  accompanied,  to  which 
Deborah  here  alludes.  Not  that  her 
description,  in  this  and  the  ensuing 
verse,  is  to  be  confined  to  the  sublime 
spectacle  witnessed  on  that  occasion. 
The  scope  of  her  language  seems  to 
be  to  portray,  in  the  most  glowing 
and  poetic  imagery,  the  general 
coVuTse  of  the  divine  manifestations 
in  behalf  of  Israel,  the  convulsions 
of  nature  and  the  consternation  of 
the  inhabitants,  while  the  Most 
High  was  conducting  his  people 
miraculously  through  the  desert  to 
put  them  in  possession  of  their  pro- 
mised inheritance.  These  exhibi- 
tions of  God's  glory  did,  as  it  2cere, 
make  the  earth  to  tremble,  the  heav- 
ens to  drop  like  snow  before  the  sun, 
and  the  mountains  to"  melt  ;  and  ac- 
cordingly we  find  the  same  general 
imagery  employed  in  other  portions 
of  inspired  song,  as  Ps.  18.  8. — 68. 
8.— 144.  5.  Deut.  33.  2.  Is.  64. 
1 — 3.  Hab.  3.  6,  in  some  of  which 
the  present  description  is  adopted 
almost  word  for  word.  It  seems,  in 
fact,  to  have  been  a  customary  be- 
ginning of  Hebrew  songs  of  triumph. 
5.  The  mountains  melted.  Heb. 
'  flowed  down  ;'  as  if  melted  by  the 
fl-'mes  in  which,  we  learn  Ex.  19. 
18,  that  the  sacred  mountain  was  en- 
veloped, so  that  it  ran  down  in 
streams.  Others,  from  the  general 
usage  of  the  original,  suppose  that 
allusion  is  had  to  tremendous  storms 
of  rain,  which  poured  down  the 
mountain  sides  in  such  torrents, 
bearing  soil,  rocks,  and  trees  with 
them,  that  the  mountains  themselves 
might  be  figuratively  said  to  flow 
down.  It  does  not  appear  very  ob- 
vious, however,  how  this  can  apply 
to  mount  Sinai,  where  fire  and  not 
water  was  the  predominant  element. 
It  is  worthy  of  remark,  in  regard  to 


5  sThe  mountains  melted 
from  before  the  Lord,  even 
'Hhat  Sinai  from  before  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel. 

6  In  the  days  of  iShamgar 

g  Dcut.  4.  11.    Ps.  97.  5.    h  Ex.  19.  18.     i  cli.  3.  31. 


this  expression,  that  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  Vulgate,  which  has  dif- 
Jluxerunt,Jlo2ced,^  all  the  ancient  ver- 
sions take  the  original  from  another 
root  (^^3  instead  of  ^3])  and  render 
it  were  shaken,  agitated,  made  to 
tremble.  Thus  theGr.,  Chal.,  Arab., 
and  Syr.,  and  this  rendering  is  con- 
firmed by  Is.  64.  1,  3,  '  that  the 
mountains  mi^hX  flow  don^n ;'  where 
the  Heb.  (n^a:)  imdoubtedly  signi- 
fies to  quake,  though  our  English 
version,  contrary  to  all  authority, 
gives  it  the  sense  of  melting.  See 
Gesenius  on  the  above  roots. 

6.  In  thedaysofShamgo.r.  After  thus 
celebrating  the  majesty  of  Jehovah 
in  his  former  appearances,  the  pro- 
phetess, in  order  to  give  her  people 
a  livelier  sense  of  their  deliverance, 
and  excite  them  to  greater  thankful- 
ness, turns  to  depict  the  forlorn  and 
degraded  state  to  which  Israel  had 
previously  been  reduced;  their  high- 
ways deserted;  their  villages  de- 
populated; their  cities  blocked  up  ; 
their  country  overrun  with  the  en- 
emies' soldiers ;  themselves  disarm- 
ed and  dispirited,  helpless  and  hope- 
less, till  it  pleased  God  to  look  upon 
them  with  compassion,  and  raise  up 
Deborah  for  a  deliverer.  IF  In  the 
days  of  Jael.  She  is  mentioned  by 
way  of  honorable  testimonial  by  the 
side  of  a  distinguished  man,  arid  in 
connection  with  an  important  epoch, 
because  from  her  recent  achieve- 
ment, she  no  doubt  at  this  time  stood 
very  conspicuous  before  the  eyes  of 
the  nation.  Still  though  these  were 
illustrious  characters-,  yet  no  com- 
plete deliverance  was  effected  for  Is- 
rael till  Deborah  arose.  IT  The 
highu-ays  were  unoccwpied.  Heb. 
'  the  highways  ceased.'  That  is^ 
ceased  to  be  occupied ;  they  were 
abandoned  by  travellers,  on  account 
of  their  being  beset  by  plundering 


232 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1296. 


the  son  of  Anath,  in  the  days  of 
kJael,  ithe  highways  were  un- 
occupied, and  the  travellers 
walked  through  by-ways. 

7   The  inhahitants  of  the  vil- 

k  ch.  4.  17.     1  Ley.  2G.'22.    2  Chr.  15.  5.     Ii  33.  8. 
Lam.  1.  i.  &  i.  18. 

hordes  of  their  enemies.  The  same 
idea  is  expressed  Is.  33.  8,  '  The 
highways  lie  waste,  the  way-faring 
man  ccasefh.'  IT  Travellers.  Heb. 
'  walkers  of  paths.'  The  original 
for  '  paths,'"  usually  means  an  elevat- 
ed, beaten  road.  Here  it  seems  to  de- 
signate the  open  public  roads,  in 
distinction  from  the  obscure  and 
crooked  by-icays  which  travellers 
were  now  compelled  to  take, 

7.  The  inhabitants  of  the  Tillages 
ceased.  Heb.  '  the  village  ceased  ;' 
col.  sing,  for  plur.  In  other  words, 
the  villages  were  deserted.  The 
tillers  of  the  soil  scattered  in  villages 
over  the  country  were  obliged  to  for- 
sake their  farms  and  houses,  and 
seek  shelter  for  themselves  in  walled 
cities  and  fortified  places.  Chald. 
'  the  unwalled  towns  were  desolate.' 
'  There  are  roads  in  these  countries, 
but  it  is  very  easy  to  turn  out  of 
them,  and  go  to  a  place  by  winding 
about  over  the  lands,  when  that  is 
thought  safer.  The  account  Bishop 
Pococke  gives  of  the  manner  in 
which  the  Arab,  under  whose  care 
he  had  put  himself,  conducted  him 
to  Jerusalem,  illustrates  this  with 
pertinency,  which  his  lordship  tells 
us  was  by  night,  and  not  by  the  high- 
road, but  through  the  fields  :  '  and  I 
observed,'  says  he,  '  that  he  avoided 
as  much  as  he  could  going  near  any 
village  or  encampment,  and  some- 
times stood  still,  as  I  thought,  to 
hearken.'  Just  in  that  manner  peo- 
ple were  obliged  to  travel  in  Judea, 
in  thejdays  of  Shamgar  and  Jael.' 
Harnier.  ^  A  mother  in  Israel.  A 
benefactress;  so  termed  from  her 
services  towards  her  people.  As  a 
deliverer  of  his  country  is  called  the 
father  of  it,  so  Deborah  is  here  call- 
ed a  mother  in  Israel. 

8.  They  chose  new  gods.     Strange 


lages  ceased,  they  ceased  in  Is- 
rael, until  that  I  Deborah  arose, 
that  I  arose  "'a  mother  in  Israel. 
8  They  ''chose  new  gods ; 
then   was   war   in    the     gates : 


n  Deut.  32.  16.    ch.  2.  12,  17, 


or  foreign  gods ;  that  is,  they  addict- 
ed themselves  to  idolatry.  They 
not  only  submitted  to  it  when  forced 
upon  them,  but  they  chose  it.  Com- 
pare Deut.  32.  17,  '  They  sacrificed 
unto  devils,  and  not  to  God ;  to  gods 
whom  they  knew  not,  to  neiv  gods 
that  came  neivly  up,  whom  your  fa- 
thers knew  not.'  This  was  the  pro- 
curing cause  of  all  their  trouble. 
They  forsook  God,  and  God  forsook 
them.  If  Then  was  v:ar  in  the  gates. 
Heb.  '  a  besieging  of  the  gates  ;'  or, 
as  Kimchi  renders  ii,  '  a  besieger 
or  assaulter  of  the  gates.'  Chal. 
'  the  nations  came  against  them  and 
expelled  them  from  their  cities.' 
The  evident  implication  is,  that 
when  they  lapsed  into  idolatry  they 
involved  themselves  in  every  species 
of  calamity,  and  were  harassed  with 
wars  within  the  precincts  of  their 
towns  and  cities.  As  the  gates, 
moreover,  were  the  places  where 
their  courts  of  judicature  were  held, 
the  continual  incursions  of  the  en- 
emy deprived  the  magistrate  of  the 
dignity,  and  the  people  of  the  benefit 
of  government.  There  being  no 
peace  to  him  that  went  or  him  that 
came  in,  the  stated  administration  of 
justice  was'  etfectually  broken  up. 
1Iir<25  there  a  shield  or  spear  seen 
among  forty  thousand  of  Israel  7  An 
interrogation  strongly  imphing  a 
negative.  To  such  a  state  were  they 
reduced  that  there  was  scarcely  a 
shield  or  spear  seen  among  40,000 
Israelites,  The  number  specified  is 
not  to  be  considered  as  including 
the  ichole  military  force  of  Israel, 
but  the  speaker  simply  gives  a  round 
number,  and  by  poetical  amplifica- 
tion a  very  large  one,  among  whom 
no  arms  were  to  be  found;  in  order  to 
indicate  more  strongly  the  destitu= 
tion  of  the  Israelites  in  this  respect. 


A.  C.  1296.] 


CHAPTER  V. 


233 


"was  there  a  shield  or  spear 
seen  among. forty  thousand  in  Is- 
rf;el? 

9  My  heart  is  toward  the  gov- 
ernors   of  Israel    that    Poffered 

0  So  1  Sam.  13.  19,  22.     cli.  4.  3.        p  Ter.  2. 


From  1  Sam.  13.  19—22,  some  have 
inferred  that  their  enemies  had  ac- 
tually disarmed  the  subject  tribes, 
and  that  it  was  to  this  that  their  des- 
titution was  owing.  But  this  hypo- 
thesis is  but  little  consonant  with 
intrinsic  probability,  or  with  other 
.  circumstances  alluded  to  in  the  nar- 
rative. Barak  is  said  ch.,  4.  G,  10, 
\o  have  taken  10,000  men  with  him 
to  mount  Tabor,  and  who  will  sup- 
pose that  they  went  thitlier  unpro- 
vided with  arms  1  especially  when 
we  are  informed,  v.  15,  16,  that  the 
hosts  of  Sisera  perished  'with  the 
edge  of  the  sword  before  Barak,'  so 
there  was  not  a  man  left.  The  ex- 
pression of  Deborah  therefore  is 
merely  a  poetic  hyperbole. 

9.  My  heart  is  toioard  the  gover- 
nors, &c.  Heb.  '  the  law-givers.' 
After  describing  the  bondage  of  Is- 
rael, and  its  effects  upon  the  courage 
of  the  people,  the  prophetess,  by  a 
natural  transition,  repeats  her  excla- 
mations of  gratitude  to  the  princes 
and  the  people,  that  they  had  at 
length  risen  and  triumphed.  Her 
heart  was  especially  drawn  out  in 
sentiments  of  love  and  honor  to- 
wards those  heads  of  the  tribes,  who 
had  so  nobly  come  forward  in  the 
hour  of  need,  and  by  their  example 
aroused  and  stimulated  their  coun- 
trymen to  throw  off  the  yoke.  They 
are  called  '  lawgivers,'  not  from 
their  enacting  new  laws,  which  was 
never  done  in  Israel,  but  from  their 
giving  sentence  in  caitses  that  came 
before  them,  and  administering  jus- 
tice generally.  IT  Bless  ye  the  Lord. 
As  it  v/as  the  divine  proinpting  that 
moved  the  leaders  to  the  enterprise, 
she  would  not,  in  bestowing  her  com- 
mendations upon  the  instruments, 
lose  sight  of  the  Author  of  the 
felessing,  and  therefore  calls  upon 


themselves  willingly  among  the 
people  :  Bless  ye  the  Lord. 

10  ^iSpeak,  ye  nhat  ride  on 
white  asses,  ^ye  that  sit  in  judg- 
ment and  walk  by  the  way. 

q  Ps.  10.5.  2.     &    14.5.  5.         r  ch.  10.  4.    &    12.  14. 
sPs.  107.32. 


the  people  at  large  to  join  her  in  a 
grateful  song  of  praise. 

10.  Speak.  Rather,  Heb.  'med- 
itate,' i.  e.  rehearse,  celebrate,  a  song 
of  praise.  ^  That  ride  on  white 
asses.  Judea  is  a  country  but  little 
favorable  to  the  production  of  horses, 
instead  of  which,  asses  were  ancient- 
ly ia  general  use.  Of  these  such  aa 
were  of  a  whitish  color  were  prob- 
ably the  most  rare  and  costly,  and 
therefore  were  used  only  by  eminent 
persons.  Some  have  supposed  that 
they  were  so  called  from  the  white 
garments,  or  caparisons  spread  over 
them ;  but  it  appears  unnatural,  to 
ascribe  the  color  of  a  covering  to 
the  creature  that  wears  it.  We  do 
not  call  a  man  white  or  black,  be- 
cause he  happens  to  be  dressed  in 
vestments  of  white  or  black  cloth; 
neither  did  the  Hebrews.  The  ex- 
pression naturally  suggests  the  color 
of  the  animal  itself,  not  of  its  trap- 
pings, and  this  is  confirmed  by  the 
reports  of  travellers.  '  White  asses, 
according  to  Morier,  come  from 
Arabia  ;  their  scarcity  makes  them 
valuable,  and  gives  them  conse- 
quence. The  men  of  the  law  count 
it  a  dignity,  and  suited  to  their 
character,  to  ride  on  asses  of  this 
color.  As  the  Hebrews  always  ap- 
peared in  white  garments  at' their 
public  festivals  and  on  days  of  re- 
joicing, or  when  the  courts  of  jus- 
tice were  held ;  so,  they  naturally 
preferred  white  asses,  because  the 
color  suited  the  occasion,  and  be- 
cause asses  of  this  color  being  more 
rare  and  costly,  were  more  coveted 
by  the  great  and  wealthy.  The 
same  view  is  taken  of  this  question 
by  Lewis,  who  says,  the  asses  in 
Judea,  '  were  commonly  of  a  red 
color ;  and  therefore  white  asses 
were  highly  valued,  and  used  by 


234 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1296. 


11  Tliey  that  are  delivered 
from  the  noise  of  urchers  in  the 
places  of  drawing  water,  there 
shall  they  rehearse  the  trighte- 
ous  acts  of  the  Lord,  even  the 


persoDG  of  superior  note  and  qual- 
ity.' '  Paxton.  Compare  ch.  12.  14. 
Gesenius  remarks  that  the  original 
term  is  not  perhaps  to  be  understood 
as  signifying  a  pure  white,  but  a 
light  reddish  color  with  while  spots, 
as  asses  entirehj  white  are  rarely  if 
ever  found.  The  white  color,  it  is 
well  known,  is  highly  prized  by  the 
Orientals,  whether  in  asses,  camels, 
or  elephants,  and  such  are  usually 
the  properly  of  princes.  IT  Ye  that 
sit  in  judgment.  So  rendered  by 
several  of  the  older  versions,  but  the 
pnrase  in  the  original  is  exceeding- 
ly difficult  of  interpretation.  Later 
commentators,  with  much  plausibi- 
lity, derive  the  word  from  a  root  sig- 
nifying to  extend,  to  spread  out,  and 
understand  it  of  carpets,  coverings, 
or  the  large  outer  garments  of  the 
Hebrews,  w^hich  were  frequently 
spread  out  and  used  for  sleeping  up- 
on at  night.  Accordingly  Prof. 
Robinson  translates  the  clause,  '  Ye 
that  recline  on  splendid  carpets.' 
But  after  all  the  researches  of  philo- 
logists, some  doubt  will  still  remain 
as  to  the  true  import  of  the  original. 
IT  Ye  that  walk  by  the  ivay.  Ye  who 
can  safely  travelin  the  public  high- 
ways, now  no  longer  infested  by 
prowling  banditti.  The  allusion  is 
perhaps  to  traffickers  of  various  de- 
scriptions, or  to  the  humbler  classes, 
who  were  much  upon  the  public 
roads,  but  who  seldom  rode  ;  so  that 
the  poet's  invocation  "is  to  the  nobles, 
the  2veaUhy,  and  the  poor,  or  in  other 
words  to  the  whole  nation,  to  join 
in  the  song  of  triumph.  They  were 
now,  as  the  fruits  of  the  recent  vic- 
tory, enjoying  a  happy  security,  di- 
rectly the  reverse  of  their  former 
oppressed  and  calamitous  condition, 
and  nothing  was  more  proper  than 
that  they  should  celebrate  in  thank- 
ful strains  the  praises  of  their  divine 


righteous  acts  toivard  the  inhah- 
Hants  of  his  villages  in   Israel : 
then   shall   the    people   of    the 
Lord  go  down  to  the  gates. 
12  "Awake,   awake,    Debo- 

u  Ps.  57.  8. 


deliverer.  It  may  be  remarked  that 
the  Syr.  and  Arab,  versions  render 
the  two  clauses  by,  '  Ye  that  sit  at 
home,  and  ye  that  walk  by  the  way.' 
11.  From  the  noise  of  the  archers 
in  the  places  of  drawing' water.  Heb. 
'0^'2)^'O)2  V^"  D-^2:2n?3  ^■Ip?2-  From 
the  voice  of  the  dividers  at  the  icater- 
ing-troughs.  It  would  be  easy,  but 
of  little  use,  to  heap  together  an  im- 
mense variety  of  renderings,  propo- 
sed by  different  expositors,  of  this 
very  perplexing  passage.  "The  diffi- 
culty arises  principally  from  the 
word  lD'i::^n)3  translated  '  archers,' 
which  occurs  only  here,  and  of 
which  lexicographers  are  unable  to 
determine  the  exact  root.  If  it  be  a 
denominative  from  yn  an  arroio  its 
meaning  here  is  undoubtedly  '  arch- 
ers,' but  if,  as  most  modern  philolo- 
gists contend,  it  comes  from  the  verb 
y^n,  it  has  the  import  of  dividing^ 
although  Gesenius  says  that  yn  an 
arrow  comes  from  this  root,  and  is  so 
called  from  its  dividing  or  cleaving 
the  air.  According  to  this  interpre-  . 
tation,  the  t3*^^2:n?D  are  either  the 
victorious  warriors  returning  laden 
with  booty  and  halting  at  the  water- 
ing places  to  divide  the  spoil  with 
songs  of  rejoicing,  or  the  shepherds 
who  can  now  with  cheerful  carols, 
securely  drive  their  flocks  and  herds 
to  water,  dividing,  separating,  or 
marshalling  them  as  they  please. 
Which  of  these  tM'o  senses  is  the 
correct  one  it  is  not  perhaps  possible 
absolutely  to  determine.  Either 
will  suit  well  the  connection,  provi- 
ded the  original  for  '  from'  be  ren- 
dered, as  it  properly  may, '  at,' '  for,' 
'  on  account  of.'  The  prophetess 
had  just  called  upon  all  the  people  to 
join  in  a  song,  and  she  now  declares 
the  occasion ;  '  Praise  the  Lord  for 
or  on  account  of  the  voice,  the  joyful 


A.  C.  1296.] 


CHAPTER  V. 


235 


rah  ;  awake,   awake,     utter    a 
song  :  arise,  Barak,  and   ^leiid 


cry,  of  those  who  divide  at  the  wa- 
tering places.'  It  may  be  farther  re- 
marked by  way  of  illustration,  of 
the  words,  that  as  wells  were  very 
scarce  in  every  part  of  the  East,  rob- 
bers and  banditti,  generally  took 
their  stations  near  tanks,  pools,  and 
springs,  in  order  that  they  might  sud- 
denly fall  upon  those  who  came  to 
drink ;  and  when  the  country  w^as 
badly  governed,  annoyances  of  this 
kind  were  very  frequent.  *  In  open, 
unprotected  lands  of  the  East,  the 
watering  places  are  at  this  day  the 
scenes  of  continual  conflict  and  op- 
pression. To  such  places  the  neces- 
sity for  water  conducts  different  peo- 
ple, who  cannot  any  where  meet  in 
peace.  T  hese  parties  of  hostile  tribes 
fall  in  with  each  other,  and  quarrel 
and  fight ;  and  thither  the  natives  of 
the  wilds  resort  to  plunder  the  par- 
ties of  travellers  and  merchants  who 
come  in  search  of  water.  In  the 
deserts  of  Syria  and  Arabia,  natives 
and  strangers  are  thus  annoyed  near 
the  wells.  This  therefore  is  the 
principal  reason  of  war, — the  neigh- 
borhoods of  wells  being  the  principal 
seats  of  war  and  depredation  in  those 
countries.  Travellers  also  knowing 
that  such  tribes  are  encamped  near, 
or  are  likely  to  visit  the  wells,  often 
dread  to  approach  them,  in  the  fear 
of  being  plundered,  if  not  also  killed. 
For  this  reason  we  have  known  par- 
ties of  travellers,  that  were  reduced 
to  almost  the  last  extremity  for  want 
of  water  in  the  parched  deserts,  ob- 
liged to  avoid  the  places  where  their 
wants  might  be  satisfied,  from  hav- 
ing heard  that  parties  of  Arabs  were 
encamped  in  the  neighborhood  :  and 
we  have  heard  of  others  who  from 
the  same  cause  were  obliged  to  go 
one  or  two  days'  journey  out  of  their 
way,  to  one  watering  place,  in  pre- 
ference to  another  that  lay  directly 
in  their  way.  No  travellers,  unless 
in  great  force,  dare  encamp  near  a 
well,  however  pleasant  and  desira- 
ble it  might  be,  from  the  fear  of  dis- 1 


thy  captivity,  captive,  thou  son 
of  Abinoam. 


agreeable  visitors.  They  water  their 
cattle,  and  replenish  their  water- 
skins  in  all  haste,  and  then  go  and 
encamp  at  a  distance  from  any  roads 
leading  to  the  well.  Dr.  Shaw  men- 
tions a  beautiful  rill  in  Barbary, 
which  is  received  into  a  large  basin,' 
called  Shrub  we  Krub  ;  that  is,  Drink 
and  avxiy,  from  the  great  danger  of 
meeting  there  with  robbers  and  as- 
sassins. With  equal  propriety,  and 
for  the  same  reason,  almost  every 
Oriental  watering-place  might  be 
called  Shrub  we  Krub.'  Pict.  Bible, 
The  victory  now  gained  put  the 
whole  country  under  their  own  gov- 
ernment, and  cleansed  the  land  of 
these  marauders.  Instead  of  such 
danger  and  insecurity,  Deborah 
here  intimates  that  they  may  sit 
down  unmolested  at  the  places  of 
drawing  water,  and  there  rehearse 
the  righteous  acts  of  the  Lord;  the 
land  being  now  in  peace,  and  order 
and  good  government  every  w^here 
restored.  Tl  Go  dovm  to  the  gates. 
Shall  repossess  themselves  of  the  ci- 
ties and  walled  villages  from  which 
they  had  been  expelled  by  their  ene- 
mies; they  shall  henceforth  have 
free  access  either  in  or  out  of  the 
gates,  as  their  occasions  might  re- 
quire ;  and  as  it  is  well  known  that 
the  gate  was  the  place  of  judgment 
in  the  East,  they  should  again  resort 
in  peace  and  safety  to  the  stations 
where  justice  was  administered. 

12.  Awake,  awake,  Deborah,  &c. 
The  prophetess  here  turns  to  her- 
self and  Barak,  the  leaders  and  he- 
roes of  the  triumph,  in  a  tone  of  an- 
imated appeal  and  excitation.  She 
calls  upon  herself  to  dictate  a  strain 
descriptive  of  the  preparation  and 
the  conflict;  and  on  Barak  to  lead 
forth  his  captives  and  display  them 
in  triumph  before  his  countrymen. 
That  such  appeals  to  one's  self  are 
very  common  in  Hebrew  poetry  is 
obvious  from  Ps.  42.  6,  12.— 103.  1 
— 5. — 104.  1,  and  elsewhere.  ^ 
Lead  thy  captivity    captive.    Lead 


236 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1296. 


13  Then  he  made  him  that 
remaineth  >have  dominion  over 
the  nobles  among  the  people  : 
the  Lord  made  me  have  domin- 
ion over  the  mighty. 

14  ^Out    of    Ephraim    was 

y  Ps.  49.  14.  z  ch.  3.  27. 


those  captive  who  before  held  thee 
in  captivity.  Comp.  Ps.  68.  19.  Eph. 
4.8. 

13.  Made  him  that  remained,  &c. 
That  is,  then  he  (the  Lord)  made 
the  dispirited  remnant  of  the  Israel- 
ites, who  had  survived  the  oppres- 
sion of  their  enemies,  to  obtain  the 
ascendancy  over  the  nobles  or  chief- 
tains of  the  people  of  Canaan,  and 
made  me,  who  am  but  a  feeble  wo- 
man, to  have  dominion  over  the 
mighty, 

14,  Otit  of  Ephraim  was  there  a 
root  of  them  against  Amalek.  The 
poetess  begins  here  to  enumerate 
and  review  the  tribes  which  had 
joined  the  standard  of  Barak.  In 
the  account  of  this  matter  ch.  4,  10, 
mention  is  made  only  of  the  tribes 
ofZebulunand  Naphtali,  but  from 
the  tenor  of  the  song  it  is  obvious 
that  several  other  tribes,  on  hearing 
of  the  exigency  of  their  brethren, 
immediately  raised  a  levy  and  vol- 
unteered to  go  to  their  assistance. 
For  this  ready  and  generous  proffer 
of  their  services,  Deborah  pays  to 
them  ihe  first  tribute  of  her  thanks. 
The  opening  sentence  of  her  com- 
mendation quoted  above  is  replete 
with  difficulty.  Without  adverting 
to  the  various  renderings  which 
have  been  proposed  both  by  Jewish 
and  Christian  interpreters,' we  shall 
give  that  which  seems  on  the  whole 
the  most  probable.  The  clause  is 
undoubtedly  elliptical,  and  may  be 
thus  supplied ;— '  Out  of  Ephraim 
(came  those)  whose  dwelling  is  in 
Amalek.'  The  original  for  '  root' 
we  take  to  be  a  poetic  expression  for 
a  fixed  firmly — established  seat  or 
dwelling,  just  as  nations  taking  up 
their  abode  in  a  land  are  said  to  be 
planted  in  it,  to  take  root  in  it,  as  Is. 


there  a  root  of  them  ^against 
Amalek  ;  after  thee,  Benjamin, 
among  thy  people  ;  out  of  ^Ma- 
chir  came  down  governors,  and 
out  of  Zebulun  they  that  handle 
the  pen  of  the  writer. 

a  ch.  3.  13.        b  Num.  32.  39,  40. 

27.  6,  '  He  shall  cause  them  that 
come  of  Jacob  to  take  root.'  Comp. 
Ps,  80.  8,  9,  Job,  5,  3.  If  it  be  ask- 
ed how  Ephraim  eould  be  said  to 
have  dwelt  or  taken  root  in  Amalek, 
since  it  is  well  known  that  the  Am- 
alekites  inhabited  the  country  to  the 
south  of  Palestine  between  mount 
Seir  and  Egypt,  the  answer  is  drawn 
from  ch.  13,  15,  where  it  is  said  that 
'  Abdon  was  buried  in  the  land  of 
Ephraim,  ^7^  the  mount  of  the  Aniale- 
kites.'  From  this  it  is  to  be  inferred 
that  a  colony  of  this  people,  who 
were  related  to  the  Kenites,  had  for- 
merly migrated  into  the  interior  of 
the  country,  and  maintained  itself 
among  the  Israelites  of  the  tribe  of 
Ephraim,  In  this  way  it  could  be 
said,  that  the  Ephraimites,  whose 
root,  i,  e.  foundation,  dwelling  place, 
was  among  the  Amalekites,  on  the 
mountain  of  that  name,  came  forth 
to  the  war.  IF  After  thee,  Benjamin, 
among  thy  people.  Rather,  '  After 
thee,  (O  Ephraim,  came)  Benjamin, 
among  thy  peoples,'  i.  e.  thy  forces, 
thy  hosts.  By  a  sudden  change  of 
persons,  common  to  the  poetic  style, 
Ephraim  is  here  addressed  as  pre- 
sent, and  Benjamin,  whose  quota  of 
men  was  probably  small,  is  spoken 
of  as  being  incorporated  with  it,  in- 
stead of  forming  a  distinct  corps  by 
itself.  IT  Out  of  Machir  came  doiun 
governors.  Machir  was  the  son  of 
Manasseh,  and  the  father  of  Oilead, 
Gen.  50.  23,  Num.  27,  1,  and  is  here 
put  for  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  that 
is,  the  half  of  that  tribe  which  dwelt 
on  the  west  of  Jordan,  The  original 
for  '  governors,'  (Qippn^)  is  in  ef- 
fect the  same  with  o"^};;)?)!  lawgiv- 
ers, V,  9,  and  is  to  be  understood  of  , 
military  leaders,  expert  and  valiant 
chieftains,  who_  promptly  took  the 


A.  C.  1296.]  CHAPTER  V. 

15  And  the  princes  of  Issa- 
char  were  with  Deborah  ;  even 


237 


field  at  the  head  of  their  troops.  TI 
Out  of  Zebulun  they  that  handle  the 
pen  of  the  loriter.  There  is  some- 
thing peculiarly  incongruous  in  the 
idea  of  penmen  coming  down  to  a 
battle,  nor  is  the  rendering  in  fact 
warranted  by  the  original.  The 
Heb.  term  for  '  handle,'  (D'n^:^?^)  is 
the  same  with  that  occurring  ch.  4.  6, 
respecting  the  tribes  of  Zebulun  and 
Naphtali,  and  which  we  there  en- 
deavored to  show,  signified  to  draw 
in  the  sense  of  enlisting.  We  take 
it  in  the  same  sense  here  ;  implying 
those,  who  as  the  emissaries  of  Ba- 
rak, succeeded  in  drawing  after 
them  recruits.  As  to  the  instrument 
employed  on  this  occasion,  though 
our  translators  have  rendered  the 
Heb.  toniZJ  hy  '  pen,'  yet  the  word 
has  no  where  else  that  signification 
throughout  the  Scriptures.  Its  genu- 
ine meaning  is  a  rod,  staff,  or  wand, 
and  instead  of  the  '  pen  of  the  wri- 
ter,' the  correct  version  undoubtedly 
is,  '  with  the  rod  of  the  numberer.' 
A  definite  number  of  men  (10,000) 
were  by  Deborah's  orders,  ch.  4.  6, 
to  be  levied  from  these  two  tribes, 
and  the  doing  of  this  is  described  by 
a  metaphor,  taken  from  the  custom 
of  shepherds  in  numbering,  separat- 
ing, or  selecting  their  sheep  by 
means  of  a  rod  besmeared  with 
paint,  with  which  they  marked  every 
fifth,  tenth,  or  twentieth,  as  the  case 
might  be,  as  they  came  out  of  the 
outlet  of  their  enclosure.  See  the 
process  more  particularly  described 
in  the  note  on  Levit.  27.  32. 

15.  The  princes  of  Issachar  roere 
with  Deborah.  Or,  Heb. '  my  princes 
in  Issachar  were  with  Deborah.' 
She  calls  them  '  my  princes,'  from 
the  grateful  esteem  with  which  their 
services  had  inspired  her.  IT  Even 
Issachar,  and  also  Barak.  Rather, 
Heb.  '  and  Issachar,  in  like  manner 
as  Barak;'  i.  e.  Issachar  was  equal- 
ly prompt,  ardent,  and  valiant  in  the 
good  cause  ;  he  marched  forth  with 
equal  alacrity.  IT  Was  sent  on  foot 
21 


Issachar,  and  also  "^Barak  :  he 
was  sent  on  foot  into  the  valley. 

c  ch.  4.  14. 

into  the  valley.  Heb.  'was  sent  with 
his  feet.'  See  note  on  ch.  4.  10,  14, 
The  meaning  we  suppose  to  be  that, 
when  Barak  was  ordered  to  charge 
down  the  declivity  of  Tabor  towards 
the  valley,  the  men  of  Issachar  fol- 
lowed with  as  much  promptitude, 
as  if  all  their  feet  had  pertained  to 
their  leader's  body.  It  may  be 
remarked  that  the  original  word, 
rendered  '  valley,'  signifies  also  a 
low  level  plain,  and  thus  the  known 
topography  of  the  place  requires  that 
it  should  be  rendered  here.  They 
descended  from  mount  Tabor  into 
the  plain  of  Esdraelon. — At  this  point 
a  transition  is  made  to  a  new  theme 
in  the  inspired  song;  viz.  a  rebuke 
of  the  recreant  tribes,  who  refused 
to  join  their  brethren  and  flock  to 
the  standard  of  Barak ;  and  here 
V.  16,  should  properly  begin.  ^For 
the  divisions  of  Reuien.  Heb.  '  in  or 
among  the  divisions.'  It  is  impos- 
sible to  speak  with  confidence  of  the 
exact  import  of  the  word,  here  ren- 
dered '  divisions.'  It  is  perhaps  de- 
signedly left  ambiguous,  as  is  not 
unusual  with  Scripture  phrases,  in 
order  that  it  may  be  taken  in  great- 
er latitude  and  fullness  of  meaning, 
and  include  the  various  senses  of 
which  it  is  susceptible.  By  some  it 
is  understood  of  the  local  division  of 
Reuben  from  the  rest  [of  the  tribes 
by  the  Jordan  and  other  rivers  ;  by 
others,  of  the  classes  or  ranks  into 
which  the  tribe  was  divided;  and 
by  others  still,  of  the  divided  counsels, 
the  conflicting  opinions,  of  the  Reu- 
benites  respecting  the  propriety  of 
taking  up  arms  on  the  occasion. 
The  root  from  which  the  original 
is  derived,  signifies  to  divide,  to 
cleave,  and  the  present  term  occurs 
Job  20.  17,  in  the  sense  of  water- 
courses, or  streams  flowing  in  chan- 
nels. The  most  probable  interpre- 
tation, therefore,  if  we  mistake  not, 
is  that  of  Schnurrer  and  others,  who 
by  the  '  divisions  of  Reuben,'  under- 
stand the  '  streams  of  Reuben;'  i.  e, 


238 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1296. 


For  the  divisions  of  Reuben 
there  were  great  thoughts  of 
heart. 

16  Why  abodest  thou ''among 
the    sheep-folds,    to    hear    the 

d  Num.  32.  1. 

the  well-watered  country  of  Reuben, 
a  region  fertilized  by  numerous 
creeks  and  small  rivers.  It  will  be 
recollected  that  Reuben  dwelt  on  the 
east  of  Jordan  and  the  Dead  Sea, 
from  the  river  Arnon  northwards, 
and  possessed  part  of  the  plain  of 
the  Jordan  which,  Gen.  13.  10,  was 
'  every  where  well  ivatered;^  a  re- 
gion expressly  celebrated.  Num.  32. 
1,  for  its  rich  pasturage,  which  ne- 
cessarily implies  the  presence  of 
springs  and  streams.  After  all,  if 
any  one  is  inclined  to  construe  the 
phrase  in  a  pregnant  sense  as  com- 
prising all  the  above  senses  of '  divi- 
sions,'we  have  no  objections  to  urge 
against  it,  nor  do  we  hesitate  to  be- 
lieve that  a  similar  mode  of  solving 
Scripture  difficulties  is  in  many  in- 
stances the  true  one.  IT  Great 
thoughts  of  heart.  The  original  for 
'  thoughts','  signifies  re  solving  s,  de- 
cisions, decrees,  and  the  purport  of 
the  clause  perhaps  is,  that  the  Reu- 
benites  at  first  heroically  resolved  to 
join  their  countrymen,  but  after- 
wards recanted  their  purpose,  and 
meanly  staid  at  home.  This  con- 
duct the  prophetess  first  describes  in 
a  tone  of  apparent  praise,  which  by 
a  poetical  artifice  is  converted  into 
an  ironical  and  cutting  sarcasm. 
She  intimates  that  their  original  re- 
solution and  purpose  was  magnani- 
mous ;  inquires  why  it  was  not  ful- 
filled ;  why  they  preferred  to  remain 
at  home  and  listen  to  the  piping  of 
the  herdsmen'?  She  then  repeats  in 
effect  her  first  sentence  of  approba- 
tion ;  but  in  the  ensuing  verse,  by 
the  change  of  a  single  letter,  (^p-; 
for  'Q'^n  revolvings  for  resolvings) 
she  pronounces  their  noble  resolu- 
tion, to  have  been  mere  empty  delib- 
eration amounting  to  nothing. 

16.   Why  abodest  thou  among  the 
sheep-folds?     Bishop  Horsley°ren- 


bleatings  of  the  flocks  1  For  the 
divisions  of  Reuben  there  were 
great  searchings  of  heart. 

17  «Gilead     abode     beyond 
Jordan :  and  why  did  Dan  re- 


e  See  Josh.  13.  25,  31- 


ders  the  original  by  '  hillocks,'  in-  J 
stead  of  '  sheep-folds,'  and  we  are  i| 
satisfied  that  he,  of  all  other  inter- 
preters, has  come  nearest  to  the 
genuine  scope  of  the  speaker.  He 
remarks,  that  the  noun  tD'inSlZjya 
is  from  the  root  f-i&ia  to  stick  up, 
to  be  prominent,  and  it  is  in  the 
dual  form.  Hence  the  substan- 
tive may  signify  any  gibbosity  or 
prominence.  It  is  used  in  Jacob's 
last  words,  to  signify  the  two  pan- 
niers of  a  laden  ass  lying  down,  and 
those  panniers  are  the  ridges  of 
hills  which  were  the  boundaries  of 
his  territories.  In  like  manner,  we 
think,  it  is  to  be  taken  here  to  sig- 
nify '  hills  in  double  parallel  ridges.* 
Reuben  is  asked  why  he  abode  be- 
tween t:'^r5li;?3  to  hear  the  bleatings 
of  the  flocks.  And  where  shall  any 
one  abide  to  hear  the  bleatings  of 
the  flocks,  but  among  hills,  where 
flocks  range  1  See  also  note  on  Gen.  ^ 
49.  14.  It  is  still  possible  that  there  | 
may  have  been  such  a  similarity  in  I 
form  between  the  stalls,  or  ranges  i 
of  the  Syrian  folds  or  pinfolds  for  | 
flocks,  and  parallel  ranges  of  hills,  ' 
as  to  render  the  same  term  appli- 
cable to  both,  so  that  the  present 
translation  does  not  err  widely  from 
the  truth.  But  the  construction  of 
Horsley,  given  above,  we  think  de- 
cidedly preferable  to  any  other.  IT 
To  hear  the  bleatings  of  the  flocks. 
Heb.  '  the  Avhistlings  or  pipings  of 
the  flock  ;'  i.  e.  of  the  shepherds  who 
play  on  the  pipe  while  guarding 
their  flocks.  ^  Great  scearchings 
of  heart.  That  is,  great  delibera- 
tions or  consultations,  but  no  result. 
They  were  forward  in  counsel  and 
debate,  but  not  in  action ;  a  severe 
and  sarcastic  irony. 

17.  Gilead  abode  beyond  Jordan. 
That  is,  the  Gadites,  who  possessed 
part    of    Gilead,  Josh.  13.  24,  25. 


A.  C.  1296.]  CHAPTER  V. 

main  in  ships  ?  '"Asher  continu- 
ed on  the  sea  shore,  and  abode 
in  his  breaches. 

18  ^Zebulun    and    Naphtali 
were   a   people   that   jeoparded 


239 


f  Josh.  19.  29,  31. 


gch.  4.  10. 


their  lives  unto  the  death  in  the 
high  places  of  the  field. 

19  The  kings  came  and 
fought,  then  fought  the  kings  of 
Canaan  in  Taanach  by  the  wa- 


Perhaps  a  part  of  the  half  tribe  of 
Manasseh  is    included    under    the 
term.     The  verb  p^zj   to  abide,  to 
tabernacle,  necessarily  here  implies 
to  dwell  at  ease,  quietly,  as  Ps.  55.  6, 
'  O  that  I  had  wings  like  a  dove !  for 
then  would  I  fly  away,  and  be  at  rest, 
(Heb.  p:2J5^  dwell  quietly.)     IT  IVhy 
did  Dan  remain  in  ships  7  Why  was 
Dan  so  much  intent  upon  liis  ships 
and  merchandize  1     This  was  one 
of  the  maritime  tribes.     Its  limits 
included  the  haven  of  Joppa  (Jaffa), 
and  also  the    coast   farther  south. 
But  Zebulun  was  also  '  a  haven  for 
ships,'  a  seafaring  tribe,  and  yet  was 
forward  and  active  in  this  expedi- 
tion.      IT  Asher  continued  07i  the  sea- 
shore.    The  same  reproach  is  here 
brought  against  Asher,  that  he  re- 
mained on  his  coasts.     His  lot  ex- 
tended   along   the    Mediterranean, 
contiguous  to  Zebulun  and  Naph- 
tali, so  that  if  disposed  he  might 
easily  have  succored  his  brethren. 
But  he  also  had  an  excuse  for  stay- 
ing at  home.      The   original  C)in 
shore,  comes  from  h^n  to  wear  away, 
and  is  applied  to  a  coast,  inasmuch 
as  this  is  continually  loearing  away 
by  the  action  of  the  water,      '^ Abode 
in  his  breaches.   Heb.  C^iZ^lC^D  rents, 
ruptures,  fissures,  from  y—|B  to  rend, 
implying  probably  the  bays,  inlets, 
and  havens,  lying  along  a  rugged 
and  broken  coast.     The  celebrated 
harbor  of  Accoor  Ptolemais'(Acre) 
lay  in  the  territory  of  Asher.     Ach- 
zib  also  and  Tyre  are  mentioned  as 
falling  within  the  limits  of  this  tribe. 
Josh.  19.29.     The  Chal,  paraphrase 
gives  a  different  turn  to  this  clause; 
— '  The  house  of  Asher,  on  the  mar- 
gin of  the  sea,  dwelt  in  the  broken 
down  cities  of  the  Gentiles,  which 
tljey  rebuilt  and  inhabited.'     The 


above  rendering,  however,  is  to  be 
preferred. 

18.  Jeoparded  their  lives  unto  the 
death.  Heb.  '  despised,  reproached, 
or  contemned;'  i.  e.  they  rushed 
fearless  upon  danger  and  death. 
These  tribes  from  being  the  more 
immediate  sufferers  from  Jabin's 
oppression,  were,  doubtless,  the  most 
eager  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  bon- 
dage, and  would  naturally  rise  in 
greater  numbers  and  exhibit  a  more 
determined  valor.  H  In  the  high 
places  of  the  field.  Heb.  '  the  heights 
of  the  field.'  Either  spoken,  in  re- 
ference to  mount  Tabor,  on  which 
the  army  of  Israel  at  first  encamped, 
or  poetically  taken  for  the  most  dan- 
gerous places  of  the  field. 

19.  The  kings  came  and  fought. 
The  poetess  now  proceeds  to  describe 
the  battle.  In  the  preceding  chapter 
mention  is  made  of  a  single  king 
only,  Jabin,  as  coming  against  Is- 
rael, but,  from  the  use  of  the  plural 
here,  and  from  the  probabilities  of 
the  case,  it  is  to  be  inferred  that 
other  allied  kings  took  the  field  with 
Sisera.  We  are  expressly  informed, 
Josh.  11.  10,  that  Hazor,  where  Ja- 
bin reigned,  was  '  before-time  the 
head'  of  numerous  petty  principal- 
ities, and  these,  it  may  be  supposed, 
were  confederate  with  him  on  this 
occasion.  Yet  it  is  possible  that,  in 
the  lofty  style  of  poetry, '  kings' here 
may  be  simply  equivalent  to  warlike 
leaders  and  champions,  the  heroes 
and  potent  personages  at  the  head  of 
the  Canaanitish  forces.  '^In  Taan- 
ach, by  the  waters  of  Megiddo.  These 
two  places,  which  are  "usually  men- 
tioned together,  lay  within  the  limits 
of  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  and  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  river  Ki- 
shon.  Indeed,  it  is  scarcely  to  be 
questioned  that  by  the  '  waters  of 


240 


JUDGES, 


[A.  C.  1296. 


ters  of  Megiddo  ;   *»they  took  no 
gain  of  money. 

20  iThey  fought  from  heav- 

hoh.  4.  16.     Ps.  44.  12.    See  ver.  30.        i  See  Josh. 
10.11     Ps,  77.  17,  18. 


Megiddo,'  is  to  be  understood  the 
stream  Kishon,  in  that  part  of  its 
course.  U  They  took  no  gain  of 
money.  They  obtained  no  spoil  or 
booty;  they  were  utterly  disappoint- 
ed, in  their  expectations.  The  ori- 
ginal, if  rendered  literally,  is  very 
emphatic ;  '  not  a  piece,  coin,  or 
particle  of  silver  did  they  take.' 
Schmid,  however,  among  the  most 
acute  and  judicious  of  commenta- 
tators,  understands  the  words  of  the 
ardor  and  overweening  confidence 
with  which  the  Canaanites  fought. 
They  entered  the  field  so  sanguine 
of  success,  they  resolved  not  to  take 
the  least  ransom  for  the  Israelites, 
either  for  life  or  liberty.  Thinking 
it  possible  that  Barak  might,  on  see- 
ing the  formidable  power  arrayed 
against  him,  repent  of  his  under- 
taking and  wish  to  purchase  peace 
by  money;  these  words,  according 
to  the  critic  above  mentioned,  ex- 
press their  determination  not  to  lis- 
ten for  a  moment  to  any  terms  of 
treaty,  but  to  cut  them  all  off  without 
mercy.  This  construction  does  no 
violence  to  the  original,  and  is  liable 
to  no  serious  objection.  Gr.  '  they 
took  no  gift  of  silver.'  Ohal.  '  they 
willed  not  riches  of  silver;'  i.  e. 
they  determined  to  reject  or  refuse 
the  most  tempting  bribes.  Thus  Is. 
13.  17,  '  Behold,  "l  will  stir  up  the 
Medes  against  them,  which  shall  7iot 
regard  silver  ;  and  as  for  gold,  they 
shall  not  delight  in  it;'  i.  e.  they 
shall  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  spare, 
by  the  prospect  of  fee  or  reward. 

20.  They  fought  frovi  heaven.  As 
the  expression  is  indefinite,  it  may 
be  considered  as  equivalent  to  say- 
ing, that  a  supernatural  power  was 
engaged  against  them  ;  they  had  to 
contend  not  only  with  foes  on  earth, 
but  with  foes  in  heaven.  Omnipo- 
tence armed  the  elements  against 
them.  A  parallel  idea  is  expressed 
in  the  words  that  follow.        IT  The 


en  ;   •'the  stars  in  their  courses 
fought  against  Sisera. 

21  iThe     river     of    Kishon 


stars  in  their  coii/rses  fought  against 
Sisera.      Or,  Heb.  *  the  stars  from 
their  orbits  fought,'  &c.,  lit.  'from 
their  elevations,  their    exaltations, 
their  highways.'    Chal.  '  from  the 
place  where  the  stars  go  forth,  war 
was  waged  against  Sisera.'     Prob- 
ably nothing  more  than  a  highly 
rhetorical  or  poetical  expression  for 
the  adverse  infiuejice  of  the  atviosphe- 
ric  elements,  the  rains,  winds,  thun- 
ders, and  lightnings,  which   from 
ch.  4.  15,  appear  to  have  been  super- 
naturally  excited  on  this  occasion,       j 
See  the  extract  from  Josephus,  note       1 
on  ch.  4. 15.     The  stars  are  here  the       ^ 
host  of  heaven,  and  this  is  but  an- 
other phrase  for  heaven  itself ;  the     - 
heavens  fought  against  Sisera. 

21.  Kishon.  This  river  takes  its 
rise  in  the  valley  of  Jezreel,  near  the 
foot  of  mount  Tabor,  and  after  run- 
ning westward,  with  a  great  variety 
of  turnings  and  windings,  through 
the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  falls  into  the 
Mediterranean  at  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  the  bay  of  Acre.  '  In  travel- 
ling,' says  Shaw,  '  under  the  south- 
east brow  of  Carmel,  I  had  an  op- 
portunity of  seeing  the  sources  of 
the  river  Kishon,  three  or  four  of 
which  lie  within  less  than  a  furlong 
of  each  other,  and  are  called  '  Ras 
el  Kishon,'  or,  the  head  of  the  Kishon, 
These  alone,  without  the  lesser  con- 
tributions nearer  the  sea,  discharge 
water  enough  to  form  a  river  half 
as  big  as  the  Isis.  During  likewise 
the  rainy  season,  all  the  water  which 
falls  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  moun- 
tain, or  upon  the  rising  ground  to 
the  southward,  empties  itself  into  it 
in  a  number  of  torrents,  at  which 
conjunctures  it  overflov:s  its  banks, 
acquires  a  wonderful  rapidity,  and 
carries  all  before  it-'  When  Maun- 
drell  crossed  this  stream  on  his  way 
to  Jerusalem,  its  waters  were  low 
and  inconsiderable  ;  but  in  passing 
along  the  side  of  the  plain,  he  oh- 


A.  C.  1296.]  CHAPTER  V. 

swept  them  away,  that  ancient 
river,  the  river  Kishon.  O  nny 
scul  thou  hast  trodden  down 
strength. 

served  the  tracts  of  many  tributary- 
rivulets  falling  down  into  it  from 
the  mountains,  by  which  it  must  be 
greatly  swelled  in  the  rainy  season. 
At  the  time  of  the  battle  here  de- 
scribed, itjwas  undoubtedly  in  this 
condition— swollen  to  a  deep  and 
impetuous  torrent,  sweeping  away 
every  thing  within  its  reach.  IF 
That  ancient  river.  The  reason  of 
this  epithet  is  not  obvious.  The 
Gr.  renders  it,  '  the  stream  of  the 
ancients,  or  of  antiquities.'  The 
Chal.  '  the  river  in  which  happened 
signs  and  great  deeds  to  Israel  from 
ancient  times.'  The  root  ^-[p  pro- 
perly implies  the  idea  of  precedency , 
or  priority,  whether  in  point  of  time 
or  place,  and  hence  its  derivatives 
obtain  the  sense  of  either '  antiquity,' 
or  '  the  east,'  which  is  always  spok- 
en of  as  lying  before  all  other  coun- 
tries. '  The  river  of  antiquities,'  is 
undoubtedly  the  most  exact  render- 
ing, and  the  import  may  be  that  it 
was  a  river  about  which  the  divine 
counsels  were  exercised  of  old ;  it  was 
a  stream  oi  ancient  designation,  oue 
which  God  designed  to  make  illus- 
trious by  this  and,  perhaps,  other 
similar  events  ;  for  the  plain  of  Es- 
draelon,  through  which  it  runs,  is 
the  most  famous  battle-ground  of  the 
whole  territory  of  Palestine.  It  was 
the  scene  of  the  conflict  of  Gideon 
and  the  Midianites,  of  Saul  and  the 
Philistines,  of  the  Israelites  and  the 
Syrians,  1  Kings  20.  26,  and  of  Josi- 
ah  and  the  Egyptians.  It  has  in  fact 
been  a  chosen  place  for  encampment, 
in  every  contest  carried  on  in  the 
Holy  Land,  from  the  days  of  Ne- 
buchadnezzar to  the  time  of  the 
Crusaders,  and  thence  down  to  that 
of  the  modern  Napoleon,  who  here 
sustained  the  attack  of  the  whole 
Syrian  army.  'Jews,  Gentiles,  Sar- 
acens, Egyptians,  Persians,  Druses, 
Turks,  Arabs,  Christian  Crusaders, 
and  an ti-christian  Frenchmen — war- 
21* 


241 


22  Then  were  the  horse- 
hoofs  broken  by  the  means  of 
the  prancings,  the  prancings  of 
their  mighty  ones. 


riors  out  of  every  nation  under  heav- 
en, have  pitched  their  tents  in  the 
plain  of  Esdraelon,  and  have  beheld 
the  various  banners  of  their  nations 
wet  with  the  dews  of  Tabor  and 
Hermon.'  It  may  also  be  remark- 
ed, that  if  the  predicted  'battle  of 
Armageddon,'  Rev.  16.  16,  denote  a 
literal  conflict,  destined  hereafter  to 
take  place,  there  is  every  probability 
that  this  is  to  be  its  scene ;  for  here 
lies  Megiddo,  to  which  allusion  is 
had  in  the  name  '  Armageddon,'  and 
we  are,  in  fact,  strongly  inclined 
to  believe  that  name  is  formed  by 
contraction  and  a  slight  change  of 
letters,  particularly  of  r  for  I,  which 
is  common  in  the  East,  from  the 
Heb.  Ti3?3  ^)2  ^!S>  al-me- Megiddo, 
waters  of  Megiddo,  v.  19,  which  we 
have  there  shown  to  be  but  another 
appellation  of  this  very  river.  We 
see,  therefore,  with  how  much  pro- 
priety the  Kishon  is  called  the  '  an- 
cient,' i.  e.  the  ordained,  the  destined, 
the  designated  river ;  the  river  in- 
tended, in  the  purposes  of  heaven,  to 
be  signalized  by  a  series  of  remark- 
able events.  U  Thou  hast  trodden 
down  strength.  That  is,  thou  hast 
vanquished  the  strong  and  mighty  ; 
a  strain  of  exultation  spoken,  per- 
haps, in  the  person  of  all  Israel, 
in  view  of  the  glorious  victory 
achieved. 

22.  The  horse  hoofs  broken.  An- 
ciently horses  were  not  shod;  nor 
are  they  at  the  present  day  in  some 
parts  of  the  East,  The  flight  was  so 
rapid,  that  the  hoofs  of  their  horses 
were  splintered,  battered,  and  bro- 
ken by  the  roughness  of  the  roads. 
IT  By  the  means  of  their  prancings. 
Or,  Heb.  'of  their  scamperings.' 
From  ch.  4.  16,  it  appears  that  the 
Canaanites  fled  with  the  utmost  pre- 
cipatition.  %  Of  their  mighty  ones. 
Of  their  best  and  strongest  horses. 
The  original  (D^^'l^i^)  is  thus  appli- 
ed Jer,  8.  16,  '  The  snorting  of  his 


242 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1296. 


23  Curse  ye  Meroz,  said  the 
angel  of  the  Lord,  curse  ye  bit- 
terly the  inhabitants  thereof; 
'"because  they  came  not  to  the 
help  "of  the  Lord,  to  the  help 
of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty. 

24  Blessed     above      women 

m  ch.  n.  9,  10.      Neh.  3.  3.  n  1  Sam.  17.  47.  & 

18.  17.  &  2.5.  23. 

horses  was  heard  from  Dan;  the 
whole  land  trembled  at  the  sound  of 
the  neighing  of  his  strong  ones.'  Ch. 
47.  3,  'At  the  noise  of  the  stamping 
of  his  strong  horses.' 

23.  Curse  ye  Meroz.  The  pro- 
phetess here  turns  abruptly  to  curse 
ihe  inhabitants  of  Meroz ;  a  place 
probably  of  some  note  at  that  time, 
but  of  which  no  trace  whatever  now 
remains.  The  effect  of  the  curse, 
like  that  pronounced  upon  Amalek, 
Ex.  17.  14,  seems  to  have  'blotted 
out  the  remembrance'  of  its  history 
and  its  site.  We  may  suppose  it  to 
have  been  a  city  lying  near  the 
scene  of  action,  and  that  the  inhabi- 
tants, having  an  opportunity  to  cut 
oflf  the  Canaanites  in  their  flight, 
neglected  to  improve  it,  or  in  some 
other  way  withheld  their  services 
on  the  occasion.  '^  Said  the  angel 
of  the  Lord.  The  Angel- Jehovah, 
before  spoken  of,  ch.  2.  1.  The 
scope  of  the  words  is  to  intimate 
that  the  malediction  proceeded  not 
from  her  own  private  feelings  of  ill 
will  or  resentment,  but  was  prompt- 
ed by  a  divine  impulse.  It  was  Je- 
hovah that  commanded  the  curse. 
She  would  not  otherwise  have  inter- 
rupted her  strains  of  thanksgiving, 
by  the  utterance  of  so  fearful  a  judg- 
ment. U  Curse  ye  bitterly.  Heb. 
*  curse  with  cursing.'  Use  the  most 
awful   execrations.  IT  Cavie  not 

to  the  help  of  the  Lord.  To  the  help 
of  the  Lord's  people ;  for  he  takes 
what  is  done  to  his  people,  as  done 
to  himself;  and  what  is  withheld 
from  them  as  withheld  from  him- 
self The  Lord  needed  not  their 
help ;  as  the  event  showed  that  he 
could  accomplish  the  work  without 
them;   nor  does  omnipotence  ever 


shall  ''Jael  the  wife  of  Heber 
the  Kenite  be,  Pblessed  shall  she 
be  above  women  in  the  tent. 

25  <3He  asked  water,  aw^  she 
gave  him  milk.;  she  brought 
forth  butter  in  a  lordly  dish. 

26  "^She  put  her  hand  to  the 


o  ch.  4,  17.    p  Luke  1. 


qch.  4.  19.     rch.  4.21. 


really  need  the  services  of  any  of  his 
creatures.  But  he  is  pleased  to  al- 
low them  the  privilege  of  being  em- 
ployed as  co-workers  together  with 
him,  and  when  a  crisis  arrives  in 
which  it  is  in  eflect  proclaimed, 
'  Who  is  on  the  Lord's  side  V  it  is 
at  our  peril  that  we  presume  to  stand 
upon  neutral  ground,  and  refuse  to 
come  up  to  the  help  of  the  Lord. 

24.  Blessed  above  vomen,  &c. 
That  is,  she  shall  be  praised  and 
celebrated  above  women.  She  shall 
be  deemed  worthy  of  the  most  exalted 
eulogy  for  her  heroic  conduct;  all 
the  Israelitish  women  shall  glory  in 
her.  This  is  in  marked  contrast 
with  the  foregoing  curse  of  Meroz. 
The  spirit  of  prophecy  delights  to 
turn  from  the  language  of  displea- 
sure and  rebuke  to  that  of  commen- 
dation and  praise.  H  Blessed — 
above  uwmen  in  the  tent.  Or,  as 
Geddes  translates  it,  'tent-inhabiting 
women.'  She  shall  bear  the  palm 
above  all  women  of  the  same  class 
or  character  with  herself,  i.  e.  the 
women  of  those  tribes  that  dwell  on- 
ly in  tents.  The  words  are  evident-  J 
ly  applied  to  the  wife  of  a  wander-  | 
ing  nomad,  who  had  no  fixed  place 

of  residence,  and  it  is  highl)'-  prob- 
able that  such  were  the  habits  of  the 
Kenites,  in  contradistinction  from 
the  more  settled  mode  of  life  of  the 
Israelites. 

25.  She  brought  forth  butler.  The 
original  nstl^n  hcmah  here  rendered 
'  butter'  undoubtedly  implies  some- 
thing liquid.  It  would  perhaps  be 
better  translated  cream,  or  rather 
curdled  milk.  '  Sisera  complained 
of  thirst,  and  asked  a  little  water  to 
quench  it,  a  purpose  to  which  butter 
is  but  little  adapted.    Mr.  Harmer 


A.  C.  1296.]  CHAPTER  V. 

nail,  and  her  right  hand  to  the 
workmen's  hammer ;  and  with 
the  hammer  she  smote  Sisera, 
she  smote  off  his  head,  when  she 


243 


indeed  urges  the  same  objection  to 
cream,  which,  he  contends,  few  peo- 
ple would  think  a  very  proper  bev- 
erage for  one  that  was  extremely 
thirsty;  and  concludes,  that  it  mast 
have  been  buttermilk  which  Jael, 
who  had  just  been  churning,  gave  to 
Sisera.  But  the  opinion  of  Dr.  Rus- 
sell is  preferable,  that  the  hernah  of 
the  Scriptures,  is  probably  the  same 
as  the  haymak  of  the  Arabs,  which  is 
not,  as  Harmer  supposed,  simple 
cream,  but  cream  produced  by  sim- 
mering fresh  sheeps'  milk  for  some 
hours  over  a  slow  fire.  It  could  not 
be  butter  newly  churned,  which  Jael 
presented  to  Sisera,  because  the 
Arab  butter  is  apt  to  be  foul,  and  is 
commonly  passed  through  a  strainer 
before  it  is  used ;  and  Russell  de- 
clares, he  never  saw  butter  offered 
to  a  stranger,  but  always  haymak: 
nor  did  he  ever  observe  the  Orien- 
tals drink  buttermilk,  but  always 
lehan^  which  is  coagulated  sour  milk, 
diluted  with  water.  It  was  lehan^ 
therefore,  which  Pococke  mistook 
for  buttermilk,  with  which  the  Arabs 
treated  him  in  the  holy  land.  A 
similar  conclusion  may  be  drawn 
concerning  the  butter  and  milk 
which  the  wife  of  Heber  presented 
to  Sisera ;  they  were  forced  cream 
or  hayma.k,  and  leban,  or  coagulated 
sour  milk  diluted  with  water,  which 
is  a  common  and  refreshing  bever- 
age in  those  sultry  regions.'  Pax- 
ion.  IT  III  a  lordly  dish.  Heb.  '  in 
a  bowl  of  the  mighty,  of  the  nobles.' 
That  is,  such  as  nobles  use  ;  a  rich, 
costly,  or  princely  bowl;  one  with 
which  a  person  would  entertain  the 
most  honorable  guests.  Though  it 
is  scarcely  supposable  that  articles 
of  this  costly  description  were  com- 
mon in  the  tents  of  nomade  tribes, 
yet  in  the  present  case  the  family  of 
Heber  may  have  possessed,  from 
their  ancestors,  a  sumptuous  article 
of  the  kind,  which  Jael  would  nat- 


had  pierced  and  stricken  through 
his  temples. 

27  At  her  feet  he  bowed,  he 
fell,  hg  lay  down  :  at  her  feet 


urally  bring  forth  on  the  occasion  of 
a  visit  from  so  distinguished  a  per- 
sonage. See  '  Illustrations  of  the 
Scriptures,'  p.  137. 

26.  She  put  her  hand.  Her  left 
hand,  as  appears  from  the  nature  of 
the  case  and  from  the  mention  of  the 
right  in  the  ensuing  clause,  IT 
Jllth  the  hammer  she  smote  Sisera. 
The  words  '  with  the  hammer'  ought 
properly  to  have  been  printed  in 
Italics,  as  they  do  not  occur  in  the 
original,  although  it  is  true  that  the 
Heb.  verb  for "'  smite'  does  often, 
perhaps  generally,  convey  the  idea 
of  smiting  with  a  havimer^  for  which 
reason  our  translators  have  render- 
ed in  the  margin,  '  she  hammered 
Sisera.'  Yet  in  v.  23  of  this  chap- 
ter it  is  applied  to  the  beating  or 
striking  of  the  horses'  hoofs  against 
the  ground.  At  the  time,  however, 
when  our  translation  was  made  the 
force  of  many  Heb.  words  was  not 
so  clearly  ascertained  as  at  the  pre- 
sent. 1  She  smote  off  his  head. 
Rather,  Heb.  '  She  violently  smote, 
she  crushed  his  head.'  That  his 
head  was  actually  severed  from  his 
body  there  is  no  good  reason  to  be- 
lieve. IT  When  she  pierced,  &c. 
Or,  Heb.  '  and  she  pierced,  &c.' 
The  leading  idea  of  the  original 
word  is  to  beat  doion,  to  depress,  as 
appears  from  its  use,  Ps.  68. 24. — 110. 
6.  Deut.  33,  11.  According  to  the 
rendering  of  our  translators  it  is  en- 
tirely synonimous  with  the  ensuing 
term  '  stricken  through.'  But  this 
we  believe  to  be  unwarranted.  The 
first  undoubtedly  implies  the  beating 
down,  the  indenting  of  the  side  of  Si- 
sera's  head  which  was  exposed  to  the 
stroke,  the  other,  the  transfixing,  the 
perforating  of  his  temples,  by  the 
tent-pin.  The  words  intimate  a 
gradation  in  the  act,  each  expression 
rising  in  intensity  upon  the  prece- 
ding. 

27.  At  her  feet  he  bowed,  &c.    Heb. 


244 


he  bowed,  he  fell  :  where  he 
bowed,  there  he  fell  down  dead. 
28  The  mother  of  Sisera 
looked  out  at  a  window,  and 
cried  through  the  lattice,  Why 
is  his  chariot  so  long  in  coming? 
why  tarry  the  wheels  of  his 
chariots  ? 


JUDGES.  [A.  C.  1296. 

29  Her  wise  ladies  answered 
her,  yea,  she  returned  answer 
to  herself, 

30  'Have  they  not  sped  ? 
have  they  not  divided  the  prey  ; 
to  every  man  a  damsel  or  two  ; 
to  Sisera  a  prey  of  divers  colors, 
a  prey  of  divers  colors  of  needle- 

8  Ex.  15.  9. 


bSD  3515  iT^bn*!  V2  between  her  feet 
he  boiced,  or  sunk  doton,  he  fell.  He 
probably  made  some  struggles  after 
receiving  the  blow,  and  as  we  may 
suppose  him  to  have  been  lying  on  a 
bed,  or  divan,  elevated  somewhat 
above  the  floor,  he  would  naturally 
fall  upon  the  latter.  The  several 
kindred  words  appear  to  be  merely 
a  poetic  amplification  of  the  cir- 
cumstances of  his  death.  See  a  sim- 
ilar phraseology  Ps.  20. 6,  '  They  are 
brought    down  and   fallen.     (-):S2i 

28.  The  mother  of  Sisera  looked 
out,  &c.  By  an  abrupt  but  beautiful 
transition,  the  mother  of  Sisera  is 
now  introduced  as  looking  from  her 
lattice,  confidently  expecting  her 
son's  victorious  return,  ostentatious- 
ly reckoning  upon  the  spoil.  '  In 
this,'  says  Prof.  Robinson, '  is  shown 
the  deep  insight  into  human  nature 
which  the  sacred  writer  possessed, 
an  insight  especially  into  the  frivol- 
ity of  the  Oriental  female  character. 
Her  consolation  springs,  not  from 
the  hope  of  his  triumphant  return  as 
a  warrior  and  conqueror,  but  arises 
from  the  slaves,  the  many-colored 
garments,  the  splendid  ornaments 
and  attire  which  will  fall  to  his 
share.  In  the  mouth  of  the  exulting 
Hebrew  poetess,  this  is  a  burst 
of  keen  and  scoffing  irony  against  a 
foe  who  never  dreamed  of  a  defeat, 
and  awaited  only  the  spoils  of  victo- 
ry.' IT  Cried  through  the  lattice. 
The  windows  of  eastern  houses  gen- 
erally open  into  interior  private 
courts,  with  the  exception  sometimes 
of  a.  latticed  window  or  balcony  to- 
words  the  street.  At  such  an  one 
the  mother  of  Sisera  is  here  repre- 


sented as  standing  and  looking  out, 
IT  Why  is  his  chariot  so  long  in  com- 
ing? Heb.  'why  does  his  chariot 
shame  (us)  in  coming'?'  i.  e.  why 
does  it  so  linger  beyond  expectation 
and  almost  beyond  endurance  1  The 
relation  between  the  ideas  of  delai^ 
and  shame  in  certain  Hebrew  terms 
is  very  peculiar.  See  note  on  ch. 
3.  25. 

29.  Her  loise  ladies.  The  noble 
female  attendants,  the  matrons  of 
her  court  or  suite.  The  epithet 
'  wise,'  perhaps,  has  reference  to 
their  sagacity  or  shrewdness  in  as- 
signing reasons  for  Sisera's  delay. 

30.  Have  they  not  sped.  Heb. '  have 
they  not  found;'  i.  e.  have  they  not 
succeeded  in  obtaining  the  object  of 
their  desires  1  IT  To  every  man  a  dam- 
<iel  or  two.  Heb.  'to  the  head  of  a 
man ;'  an  idiom  peculiar  to  the  orig^ 
inal  wherever  the  idea  of  enumera- 
tion or  distribution  is  involved.  One 
would  have  thought  that  ladies,  who 
had  any  just  conception  of  the  honor 
of  their  sex,  would  have  found  other 
subjects  of  felicitation  than  this.  But 
the  hint  serves  as  a  faithful  index  of 
the  degradation  of  woman  in  allhea- 
then  lands,  especially  in  the  East.  ^ 
A  prey  of  divers  colors  of  needle-u'ork. 
Embroidery  and  rich  dresses  were 
reckoned  the  most  valuable  parts  of 
the  spoil  of  conquered  foes.  It  was 
probably  the  beauty  and  richness  of 
the  Babylonish  garment,  that  first 
tempted  Achan  to  secrete  the  spoil 
that  cost  him  his  life.  It  was  also 
probably  from  the  high  value  put 
upon  this  species  of  spoil,  that  Da- 
vid, 2  Sam.  1.  24,  calls  upon  the 
daughters  of  Israel,  to  join  with  him 
in  lamenting    the    death  of    Saul, 


A.  C.  1296.] 


CHAPTER  V. 


245 


work,  of  divers  colors  of  needle- 
work on  both  sides,  meet  for  the 
necks  of  them  that  take  the 
spoil  ? 

81   tSo  let  all  thine  enemies 

t  Ps.  S3.  9,  10. 


*  who  clothed  them  in  scarlet,  and 
with  other  delights  ;  who  put  on  or- 
naments of  gold  upon  their  apparel.' 
H  F'or  the  necks  of  them  that  take  the 
spoil.  Heb.  *  for  the  necks  of  the 
prey.'  The  ellipsis  is  perhaps  well 
supplied  in  our  translation,  though 
some  critics  instead  of  taking  '  prey' 
figuratively  for  i)ersons  seizing  the 
prey,  understand  it  of  captured  ani- 
mals, which  they  suppose  to  have 
been  usually  led  in  triumph  decora- 
ted with  ornaments  and  trappings 
upon  their  necks.  In  this  sense, 
however,  it  might,  as  Prof.  Robin- 
son suggests,  be  better  referred  to 
the  decorations  of  the  female  slaves. 
31.  So  let  all  thine  enemies  perish. 
The  prophetess,  instead  of  saying  in 
express  terms  that  the  hopes  of  Sise- 
ra's  mother  were  doomed  to  sad  dis- 
appointment, bursts  forth  into  an 
abrupt  apostrophe,  which  implies 
this  in  a  very  vivid  and  forcible 
manner;  viz.  an  invocation  of  like 
destruction  upon  all  the  enemies  of 
Jehovah.  The  particle  '  so'  refers, 
not  to  what  is  expressed,  but  to  what 
is  thus  implied,  the  frustrated  hopes 
and  bitter  wailings  of  the  mother 
and  her  attendants.  This  highly 
poetical  mode  of  concluding  the  song 
gives  a  gracefulness  and  effect  to 
the  whole  which  can  scarcely  be 
surpassed.  In  remarking  practical- 
ly on  the  prayer  of  Deborah,  it  is  to 
be  observed  that  imprecations  of 
evil,  when  personal  and  vindictive, 
are  contrary  to  the  mind  of  God, 
but  when  uttered  as  denunciations 
of  God's  determined  purposes  against 
his  enemies,  they  are  not  unsuited 
to  the  most  holy  character.  In  this 
light  are  many  of  the  Psalms  of  Da- 
vid to  be  viewed ;  and  even  Paul 
could  say,  '  If  any  man  love  not  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  let  him  be  ana- 
thema-maranatha.'      '  Though  our 


perish,  O  Lord  :  but  let  them 
that  love  him  he  "as  the  sun 
''when  he  goeth  forth  in  his 
might.  And  the  land  had  rest 
forty  years. 


enemies,'  says  Henry,  'are  to  be 
prayed  for,  God's  enemies,  as  such, 
are  to  be  prayed  against ;  and  when 
we  see  some  of  God's  enemies  re- 
markably humbled  and  brought 
down,  that  is  an  encouragement  to 
us  to  pray  for  the  downfall  of  all  the 
rest.'  Thus  are  Deborah's  words 
to  be  interpreted.  Being  prompted 
by  the  spirit  of  inspiration,  they  are 
to  be  regarded  not  only  as  an  impre- 
cation, but  also  as  a  prediction ;  a 
prediction  which  shall  assuredly  be 
accomplished  in  its  season  upon  all 
that  continue  to  withstand  omnipo- 
tence. IT  IM  them  that  love  him, 
be  as  the  sun,  &c.  These  words  re- 
quire simply  a  practical  exposition. 
'They  intimate  the  true  distinction, 
between  the  enemies  and  the  friends 
of  God.  The  latter  are  character- 
ised as  those  that  love  him.  If  be- 
tween men  we  could  admit  a  medium 
between  love  and  hatred,  we  can  by 
no  means  admit  of  it  between  God 
and  his  creatures.  Indifference  to- 
wards God  would  be  constructive 
enmity.  Those  only  who  love  him 
can  be  numbered  among  his  friends. 
In  behalf  of  these  the  prophetess 
prays  that  they  may  be  as  '  the  sun 
when  he  goeth  forth  in  his  might.' 
Under  this  beautiful  image  she 
prays,  (1)  That  they  may  shine  with 
ever-increasing  splendor.  ~  The  sun 
in  its  early  dawn  casts  but  a  feeble 
light  upon  the  world ;  but  soon  pro- 
ceeds to  irradiate  the  whole  horizon, 
and  to  burst  in  full  lustre  upon  those 
who  were  a  little  while  before  im- 
mersed in  darkness.  Thus  the  go- 
ings-forth  of  the  devoted  friends  and 
servants  of  the  Most  High,  diffuse 
at  first  but  an  indistinct  and  doubt- 
ful gleam  ;  but  through  the  tender 
mercy  of  God  they  advance,  and 
their  light  shines  brighter  and 
brighter  to    the    perfect    day.    (2) 


246 


CHAPTER  VI. 

•  A  ND  the  children  of  Israel 

"^  did  evil  in  the  sight  of  the 

Lord  :  and  the  Lord  delivered 


JUDGES.  [A.  C.  1256. 

I  them  into  the  hand  ^of  Midian 


That  they  may  diflfuse  benefits 
wheresoever  they  go.  The  sun  is 
the  fountain  of  light  and  life  to  the 
whole  terraqueous  sphere.  If  we 
look  at  the  places  where  his  genial 
beams  for  months  together  never 
shine,  the  whole  face  of  nature  wears 
the  appearance  of  desolation  and 
death  ;  and  nothing  but  the  return  of 
his  kindly  influences  restores  her  to 
life.  Thus  in  countries  where  the 
friends  of  God  are  not  found,  the 
whole  population  is  in  a  state  of 
spiritual  and  moral  death.  But  in 
their  light,  light  is  seen,  and  from 
them  is  spread  abroad  a  vital  influ- 
ence which  wakes  up  all  around 
them  to  new  life  and  power.  Let  us 
seriously  inquire  to  which  of  these 
classes  we  belong ;  for  however  con- 
founded now,  there  will  be  an  awful 
difference  between  them  ere  long; 
the  one  arising  to  everlasting 
shame  and  contempt,  the  other  shin- 
ing forth  as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom 
of  their  father. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

1,  Did  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord. 
After  the  expiration  of  the  forty 
years  of  rest  above  mentioned,  ch.  5. 
31,  Their  new  defection  subjects 
them  as  a  matter  of  course  to  new 
judgments.  With  the  froward,  God 
will  show  himself  froward,  and  will 
walk  contrary  to  those  that  walk 
contrary  to  him.  IT  Into  the  hand 
of  Midian.  Of  the  Midianites  ;  the 
usual  collect,  sing,  for  the  plural. 
A  great  portion  of  this  race  had 
been  cut  off  by  Moses  about  200 
years  before.  Num.  31.  1 — 18,  but  in 
the  mean  time  they  had  recovered 
themselves,  those  that  escaped  to 
other  regions  having  returned,  and 
these  with  the  remnant  that  remain- 
ed having  rapidly  increased  and  ac- 
quired power,  till  they  became 
too  strong  for  their  sin-weakened 


seven  years. 

2  And   the 
prevailed 


hand   of  Midian 
against   Israel :    and 


neighbors  the  Israelites.  Instigated 
probably  by  resentment,  they  joined 
the  Amalekites  in  order  to  retaliate 
upon  their  ancient  conquerors. 
They  inhabited  the  eastern  borders 
of  the  Red  Sea,  having  Arnon  for 
their  capital. 

2.   The  hand  of  Midian  prevailed 
against  Israel.     Heb.  '  the  hand  of 
Midian  was  strong  upon  Israel ;'  in- 
dicating not  merely  the  commence- 
ment, but  the  continuance  and  the 
highest  degree  of  oppression.        U 
Made  them  the  dens,  &c.     That  is, 
prepared,  fitted  up  as  residences,  the 
caves  and  dens  of  the  mountains. 
They  did  not  make  them  de  novo,  in 
the  sense  of  cutting  out,  excavating, 
OT  constructing  them,  for  it  is  said  they 
were  already  in  the  mountains,  but 
they  so  vjorked  upon  them  as  to  adapt 
them  for  dwelling  places  and  strong 
holds  against  the  assaults  of  their  en- 
emies.    Shaw  says  that  a  great  way 
on  each  side  of  Joppa,  on  the  sea- 
coast,  there  is  a  range  of  mountains 
and  precipices;  and  that  in   these 
high  situations  are  generally  found 
the  dens,  the  holes,  or  caves,  which 
are  so  frequently  mentioned  in  Scrip- 
ture, and  which  were  formerly  the 
lonesome  retreats  of  the  distressed 
Israelites.    Nothing  can  give  a  more 
vivid  impression  of  the  sufferings  to 
which  the  Israelites  were  now  redu- 
ced.    Not  daring  to   reside  in  the 
plain  country  they  M'^eve  obliged  to 
betake  themselves  to  the  most  retire(i 
holds  and  fastnesses    which    their       , 
mountainous  territory  afforded.    Jo-      | 
sephus  thus  describes  this  period  of      i 
their  history; — 'Now  when  Barak 
and   Deborah    were    dead,    whose 
deaths  happened    about    the    same 
time;     afterwards    the    Midianites 
called  the  Amalekites  and  Arabians 
to  their  assistance,  and  made  war 
against  the  Israelites,  and  were  too 
hard  for  those  that  fought  against 


A.  C.  1256.] 

because  of  the  Midianites  the 
children  of  Israel  made  them 
Hhe  dens  which  are  in  the  moun- 
tains, and  caves,  and  strong 
holds. 

3  And  so  it  was,  when  Israel 
had  sown,  that  the   Midianites 

c  1  Sam.  13.  6.        Heb.  11.  38. 


CHAPTER  III. 


247 


them  ;  and  when  they  had  burnt  the 
fruits  of  the  earth,  they  carried  off 
the  prey.  Now  when  they  had  done 
this  for  three  years,  the  multitude  of 
the  Israelites  retired  to  the  moun- 
tains, and  forsook  the  plain  country. 
They  also  made  themselves  hollows 
under  ground,  and  caverns,  and  pre- 
served therein  whatsoever  had  es- 
caped their  enemies  ;  for  the  Midi- 
anites made  expeditions  in  harvest- 
time,  but  permitted  them  to  plough 
thejland  in  winter,  that  so  when  the 
others  had  taken  pains,  they  might 
have  fruits  for  them  to  carry  away  ' 
J.  Antiq.  B.  V.  ch.  6.  §  1.  See  note 
on  Gen.  19.  30.  They  who  abuse 
God's  gifts  in  prodigality  and  luxu- 
ry, often  live,  as  a  just  punishment, 
to  feel  the  want  of  them  in  hunger 
and  nakedness. 

3.  When  Israel  had  sown,  &c.  The 
Midianites  were  principally  wander- 
ing herdsmen,  that  is,  just  such  a 
people  as  the  Bedouin  Arabs  of  the 
present  day.  Consequently  the  de- 
tails of  this  oppression  may  be  il- 
lustrated, from  what  travellers  re- 
late of  the  modern  customs  of  these 
roving  and  plundering  tribes.  It 
may  be  stated  as  a  maxim,  that 
whenever  the  nomade  is  the  master 
of  the  cultivator,  the  impoverish- 
ment and  ultimate  ruin  of  the  latter 
are  inevitable.  The  Bedouin  Arabs 
come  up  from  their  deserts  in  the 
spring  and  perhaps  remain  through 
the  summer,  in  the  territories  of 
those  cultivators  who  are  so  unfor- 
tunate as  to  lie  at  their  mercy.  If 
there  is  not  an  established  under- 
standing between  the  tillers  of  the 
soil  and  the  nomades,  as  to  the  tri- 
bute which  the  former  are  to  pay 


came  up,  and  ^the  Amalekites, 
^and  the  children  of  the  east, 
even  they  came  up  against 
them  : 

4  And  they  encamped  against 
them,  and  ^destroyed  the  in- 
crease  of  the   earth,    till    thou 

d  ch.  3  13.  e  Gen.  29.  1.  ch.  7.  12.  &  8.  10.  1  Kin. 
4.  30.  Job  I.  3.  f  Lev.  26.  16.  Deut.  28.  30,  33,  51. 
Mic.  6.  15. 


for  exemption,  the  Bedouins  encamp 
and  pasture  their  cattle  in  the  culti- 
vated grounds,  after  securing  such 
corn  and  other  vegetable  produc- 
tions as  they  may  see  fit  to  appropri- 
ate for  their  own  use.  Thus  the 
'  increase  of  the  earth  is  destroyed,' 
and  no  '  sustenance  left'  to  reward 
the  labor  and  patience  bestowed  up- 
on its  production.  IF  The  childre^i 
of  the  East..  Various  mixed  tribes 
of  the  Arabians,  Ishmaelites,  Moab- 
ites,  and  Ammonites  inhabiting  the 
regions  which  lay  to  the  east  aud 
southeast  of  Palestine.  They  were 
the  descendants  of  Abraham  by  Ke- 
turah.  See  more  respecting  them, 
ch.  8.  10,  11.  Gen.  29.1.  Job  1.  3. 
Ezek.  25.  4.  IT  Came  up  against 
them.  The  efiects  of  these  maraud- 
ing expeditions  a%ie  expressly  stated 
in  the  next  verse. 

4.  A7id  they  encamped.  This  is  not  to 
be  understood  precisely  in  the  sense 
of  a  military  encampment,  which  is 
generally  a  station  occupied  but  for 
a  very  short  time.  The  original 
•  term  is  frequently  applied  to  the 
pitching  of  tents  hy  i\\e  nomade  tribes 
in  their  wanderings,  and  is  but  an- 
other word  for  expressing  their  un- 
settled, migratory  kind  of  life.  Liv- 
ing mostly  in  tents,  they  pitched 
them  now  here,  and  now  there,  re- 
maining for  a  longer  or  shorter  time 
as  the  advantages  of  pasturage  or 
plunder  invited  them ;  and  the  scope 
of  the  present  passagis  is  doubtless 
to  say,  that  these  numerous  eastern 
hordes  had  so  far  obtained  the  mas- 
tery over  Israel,  that  they  fearlessly 
pitched  their  tents  and  made  a  pro- 
tracted stay  in  the  very  heart  of  their 
country,  moving   on  to  its  utmost 


248 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1256. 


come  unto  Gaza  ;  and  left  no 
sustenance  for  Israel,  neither 
sheep,  nor  ox,  nor  ass. 

5  For  they  came  up  with 
their  cattle  and  their  tents,  and 
they  came  sas  grasshoppers  for 
multitude;  for  both  they  and 
their  camels  were  without  num- 
ber :  and  they  entered  into  the 
land  to  destroy  it. 

g  ch.  7.  12. 


limits,  and  consuming  all  its  pro- 
ducts as  they  advanced.  See  the 
next  verse.  IT  Till  thou,  come  unto 
Gaza.  Their  ravages  ex  tended  quite 
across  the  whole  breadth  of  the  land 
from  the  east,  where  they  entered, 
to  the  limits  of  the  Philistines'  pos- 
sessions, who  inhabited  the  coast  of 
the  Mediterranean.  Them  they  dis- 
turbed not,  knowing  them  to  be  also 
hostile  to  the  Israelites.  A  common 
enmity  is  a  virtual  league  of  alli- 
ance. H  Neither  sheep,  nor  ox,  nor 
ass.  The  Bedouins,  in  oppressing 
the  cultivator,  seize  all  the  cattle 
that  are  brought  abroad,  and  add 
them  to  their  own  flocks  and  herds, 
so  that  the  inhabitants  frequently 
become  deprived  of  all  their  cattle, 
as  was  now  the  case  with  the  Israel- 
ites. In  western  Asia  the  people 
who  are  subject  to  such  annual  in- 
cursions, generally  make  a  compro- 
mise with  the  invaders,  agreeing  to 
pay  them  a  heavy  tribute,  on  condi- 
tion that  the  harvests  shall  not  be 
touched,  or  the  cattle  driven  off. 
Even  powerful  communities,  which 
might  be  able  to  cope  with  the  Be- 
douins, often  enter  into  a  compro- 
mise of  this  sort,  to  prevent  the  ne- 
cessity r)f  continual  warfare  and 
watchfulness.  With  these,  the  ar- 
rangement is  a  matter  of  conveni- 
ence ;  but  miserable  is  the  condition 
of  those  with  whom  it  is  a  matter  of 
necessity,  and  to  whom  it  is  the  on- 
ly alternative,  on  which  they  can 
secure  a  scanty  subsistence  from 
their  fields.  The  tribute,  usually 
paid  in  produce,  is  generally  very 


6  And  Israel  was  greatly  im- 
poverished because  of  the  Mid- 
ianites  ;  and  the  children  of  Is- 
rael "^cried  unto  the  Lord. 

7  II  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  the  children  of  Israel  cried 
unto  the  Lord  because  of  the 
Midianites, 

8  That  the  Lord  sent  a  pro- 
phet unto  the  children  of  Israel, 


heavy ;  besides  which  the  chiefs  ex- 
pect extraordinary  presents,  and 
what  is  received  in  one  year  as  a 
present,  is  certain  to  be  exacted  in 
the  next  year  as  a  right.  Thus  the 
pressure  accumulates,  till  it  can  no 
longer  be  borne ;  cultivation  is  then 
relinquished;  and  whole  settlements 
are  abandoned  by  their  inhabitants, 
who  disperse  themselves  into  other 
villages  or  towns,  or  form  a  settle- 
ment where  they  hope  to  be  more  at 
ease.  These  particulars,  gathered 
principally  from  the  '  Pictorial  Bi- 
ble,' serve  to  show  the  distressed 
situation  of  the  Israelites  under  the 
depredations  of  these  ancient  Be- 
douins, 

5.  Came  up  loith  their  cattle  and 
their  tents.  That  is,  with  their 
wives,  children,  and  domestics,  the 
inhabitants  of  their  tents.  This  is 
but  an  expansion  of  the  idea  of  the 
preceding  verse.  The  inroad  of 
these  eastern  invaders  was  not  a 
sudden  and  successful  assault  fol- 
lowed by  a  hasty  retreat,  but  a  pro- 
longed occupation  of  the  country  of 
the  Israelites,  with  their  innumer- 
able tents,  and  flocks,  ahd  herds. 
For  numbers  and  voracity  they  are 
compared  to  '  grasshoppers,'  or  ra- 
ther '  locusts,'  as  the  word  should  be 
rendered,  and  nothing  can  convey 
a  more  vivid  image  of  the  countless 
multitude  and  the  wide-spread  rava- 
ges of  these  armies  of  marauders. — 
It  was  undoubtedly  at  this  time  that 
the  famine  took  place  which  compel- 
led the  family  of  Elimelech  to  mi- 
grate to  the  land  of  Moab,  and  gave 


A.  C.  1^6.] 


CHAPTER  VI. 


249 


which  said  unto  them,  Thus  saith 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  I 
brought  you  up  from  Egypt,  and 
brought  you  forth  out  oi'  the 
house  of  bondage  ; 

9  And  I  deUvered  you  out  of 
the  hand  of  the  Egyptians,  and 


rise  to  the  interesting  events  related 
in  the  book  of  Ruth.  The  oppres- 
sion to  which  the  Israelites  were  at 
this  time  subject  was,  therefore,  of  a 
very  different  character  from  those 
which  they  had  previously  suffered; 
and  from  the  minute  and  expressive 
details  which  are  given,  we  cannot 
but  infer  that  they  had  never  before 
experienced  any  thing  so.  grievous. 
IT  Entered  into  the  land  to  destroy  it. 
The  effect  of  their  entering  in  was  to 
destroy,  to  lay  waste,  the  land; 
whether  the  Heb.  particle  (^  to)  im- 
ports the  actual  design  is  not  so  clear. 
It  often  indicates  merely  the  event. 
See  note  on  Josh.  7.  7. 

8.  The  Lord  sent  a  prophet.  Heb. 
'sent  a  man,  a  prophet.'  The  wri- 
ter would  have  it  understood  that  it 
was  a  human  messenger  and  not  an 
angel ;  for  angels  in  Scripture  are 
not  called  prophets,  though  prophets 
are  sometimes  called  angels.  Mai.  3. 
1.  God  commissioned  some  indi- 
vidual, whose  name  is  not  known, 
to  act  the  part  of  a  prophet,  i.  e.  to 
be  an  organ  of  declaring  the  divine 
will  on  this  occasion  to  his  people. 
"Whether  he  had  ever  exercised  this 
function  before  is  uncertain.  The 
supposition  that  he  had  is  at  least 
unnecessary.  Men  were  often  raised 
up  and  endowed  with  extraordinary 
gifts  for  particular  emergencies,  and 
God  having  now  determined,  in  an- 
swer to  the  prayers  of  his  oppressed 
people,  to  grant  them  deliverance, 
begins  by  sending  them  a  prophet  be- 
fore he  raises  up  for  them  a  Saviour. 
It  was  fitting  that  their  deep  and  un- 
feigned repentance  should  precede 
the  purposed  relief,  and  a  prophet 
would  be  the  most  suitable  instru- 
ment of  effecting  this.  The  imme- 
22 


out  of  the  hand  of  all  that  op- 
pressed you,  and  'drave  them 
out  from  before  you,  and  gave 
you  their  land  ; 

10  And  I  said  unto  you,  I  am 
the  Lord  your  God  ;  i^fear  not 
the   gods   of  the    Amorites,    in 

iPs.  44.  2,.3.      k  2  Kings  17.  35,  37,  38.    Jer.  10.  2. 


diate  object  of  our  prayers  is  not  al- 
ways that  which  God  sees  fit  inmie- 
diately  to  grant.  He  may  see  that 
something  else  entirely  different  is 
necessary  as  a  preparative  to  the 
main  blessing,  and  as  a  general  rule 
we  cannot  hope  for  the  marks  of  the 
divine  forgiveness  without  being 
deeply  humbled  for  our  previous  sin. 
'  The  sending  of  prophets  to  a  people, 
and  the  furnishing  a  land  with  faith- 
ful ministers,  is  a  token  for  good, 
and  an  evidence  that  God  has  mercy 
in  store  for  them.'  Henry.  In  what 
way  precisely  this  prophet  executed 
his  mission,  whether  by  addressing 
the  people  in  a  general  assembly,  or 
by  delivering  it  from  city  to  city,  and 
from  tribe  to  tribe,  it  is  not  possible 
to  decide  ;  but  his  errand  was  to  con- 
vince them  of  sin,  and  to  bring  them 
to  repentance  and  humiliation  be- 
fore God  in  view  of  their  past  trans- 
gressions. %  Brought  you  up  from 
Eirypl.  You  in  the  loins  or  persons 
of  your  fathers.  See  this  phraseol- 
ogy explained.  Josh.  4.  23. 

9.  Of  all  that  oppressed  you.  It  is 
not  perfectly  clear  to  whom  this  is 
intended  to  apply.  It  cannot  well  be 
referred  to  the  Canaanites,  in  Judea 
as  they  can  scarcely  be  said  to  have' 
'oppressed'  the  Israelites  prior  to 
the  occupation  of  their  lands  by  the 
latter,  although  they  doubtless  had 
every  disposition  to  do  it.  Some  of 
the  Jewish  commentators  with  much 
probability  understand  it  of  Sihon, 
Og,  Arad  and  others  whom  the  Is- 
raelites encountered  on  their  way 
from  Egypt  to  Canaan,  to  whom 
should  perhaps  be  added  Balak,  king 
of  Moab,  the  Midianites,  the  Edom- 
ites,  and  whatever  enemy  endeavor- 
ed to  molest  them  on  their  march 


250 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1-266. 


whose  land  ye  dwell :  but  ye 
have  not  obeyed  my  voice. 

11  IT  And  there  came  an  an- 
gel  of  the  Lord,  and  sat  under 
an  oak  which  was  in  Ophrah, 


that  pertained  unto  Joash  Uhe 
Abi-ezrite  :  and  his  son  "'Gideon 
threshed  wheat  by  the  wine- 
press, to  hide  it  from  the  Midian- 
ites. 

IJosh.  17,  2.  i!i  Heb.  11.32. 


These  they  overcame,  expelled,  and 
look  possession  of  their  country,  and 
so  made  good  the  declaration  of  the 
text. 

10.  rear  not  the  gods  of  the  Amor- 
ites.  Fear  them  not  so  as  to  serve 
and  worship  them  j  pay  them  not  di- 
vine honors.  By  the  Amorites  is 
meant  the  Canaanitish  nations  in 
general.  See  on  Josh.  24.  14.  15. 
%  But  ye  have  not  obeyed  my  voice. 
In  this  and  the  two  preceding  verses 
there  is  no  express  promise  of  deliv- 
erance, bat  merely  a  recital  of  the 
Lord's  goodness  and  the  charge  of 
disobedience  and  rebellion  brought 
against  the  people.  The  reason  per- 
haps of  an  address  so  purely  legal 
was  to  deepen  their  repentance,  to 
make  them  feel  more  bitterly  the 
evil  and  malignity  of  their  conduct, 
and  on  the  borders  of  despair  to  cry 
more  earnestly  for  the  divine  succor. 
As  we  learn,  however,  from  the 
facts  recorded  that  it  icas  the  purpose 
"of  God  to  afford  relief,  we  may  pro- 
perly understand  the  rebuke  as  im- 
plying  the  promise  of  pardon  and 
deliverance,  on  condition  of  their  re- 
turning to  God.  As  a  general  rule, 
in  God's  dealings  with  sinners, 
where  present  evils  are  spoken  of  as 
a  penalty  of  pa^  offences,  it  is  to  be 
understood  that  forgiveness  will  fol- 
low reformation.  We  may  there- 
fore without  hazard  suppl}^  the  last 
clause  thus ; — '  But  ye  have  not 
obeyed  my  voice ;  nevertheles  I 
have  heard  your  cry,  and  have  pur- 
posed deliverance.'  This  is  merely 
putting  the  actual  conduct  of  the 
Most  High  into  words. 

11.  A?i  angel  of  the  Lord.  Not  a 
created  angel,  but  the  Son  of  God 
himself,  the  eternal  Word,  the  Lord 
of  angels,  anticipating  the  appear- 
ance he  was  afterwards  in  the  full- 
ness of  time  to  make  in  human  form. 


This  is    evident    from    his    being 
called  V.  14 — 16, '  Jehovah,'  and  from 
his  saying,  '  I  will  be  with  thee.' 
See  on  ch.  2.  1,        IT  Sal  under  an 
oak  which  vjas  in  Ophrah.     Or,  Heb. 
'sat  under  a  grove  or   cluster    of" 
oaks.'     Ophrak  was  a  city  of  Ma- 
nasseb,   west    of   Jordan,"    situated 
about  sixteen  miles  north  of  Jericho, 
and  not  far  from  the  river  Jordan. 
IT  Joash  the  Abi-ezrite.     Of  the  pos- 
terity, of  the  family,  of  Abiezer,  who 
belonged  to  the  tribe  of  Manasseh, 
Josh.  "17.  2.     This  Ophrah  probably 
fell  to  the  inheritance  of  this  family, 
and  it  may  be  also  so  called  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  another  Ophrah,  in 
the  tribe  of  Benjamin.    Josh.  18.  23. 
V  Gidean  threshed  wheat  by  the  wine 
press.     The   Hebrew  properly    de- 
notes, '  threshed  wheat  with  a  stick 
in  a  wine  press  ;'  a  very  expressive 
illustration  of  the  remarks    made 
above  respecting  the  oppression  of 
the  Midianites.    Gideon  was  obliged 
to  thresh  his  wheat  in  a  small  quan- 
tity, and  in  an  unusual  place,  to  con- 
ceal it  from  the  enemy.     This  shows 
how  extreme  was  the  distress  of  the 
Israelites,  seeing  that  they  could  not 
retain  an}^  part  of  their  own  produce 
except  by  stealth .     The  smallness  of 
the  quantity  is  shown  by  the  manner 
in  which  it  was  threshed,  which  was 
not  with  cattle,  as  was  usual  with 
large  quantities,  bat  b}^  means  of  the 
flail,  which  was  seldom  employed 
but  in   threshing  small   quantities. 
And  then  the  threshing  was  in  or 
near  the  wine  press,  that  is,  in  an 
unusual  place,  in  ground  appropri- 
ated to  another  purpo.<e.     The  flail 
also  falling  on  grain  placed  on  the 
dead  ground,  not  on  a  boarded  floor, 
as  with  us,  made  but  little    noise, 
whereas  the  bellowing  of  the  oxen 
might,  in  the  other  case,  have  led  to 
detection.    It  will  be  obsei  ved,  how- 


A.  C.  1256.] 


CHAPTER  VI. 


251 


12  And  the  "angel  of  the 
Lord  appeared  unto  him,  and 
said  unto  him,  The  Lord  is 
"with  thee,  thou  mighty  man  of 
valor. 

13  And    Gideon    said     unto 


H  cIk  13.  3.     Lnkel.  II, 


over,  contrary  to  the  opinion  of  some 
commentators,  that  this  threshing- 
ground  was  in  the  open  air,  else 
Gideon  could  not  have  expected  dew 
to  fall  upon  the  ground  or  on  the 
fleece,  which  he  spread  out  there,  v. 
37 — iO,  V  To  hide  it  from  the 
Midianites.  Heb.  '  to  cause  it  to  flee 
from  the  Midianites;'  i.  e.  that  it 
might  be  hastily  gathered  up  on  the 
approach  of  the  enemy  and  conveyed 
•to  a  place  of  safety.  The  original 
word  is  the  same  with  that  employ- 
ed Ex.  9.  20,  'He  that  feared  the 
word  of  the  Lord — made  his  servants 
and  his  cattle  jiee  into  the  houses,' 
where  it  is  evidently  exegetical  of 
'gather'  in  the  preceding  verse. 

13.  The  Lord  is  vnth  thee.  Chal. 
Uhe  Word  of  the  Lord  is  for  thy 
jielp,  thpu  mighty  man  of  valor.' 
jtn  ancient  form  of  salutation,  ex- 
pressing the  assurance,  or  conveying 
an  invocation,  of  the  presence,  pro- 
lection,  and  blessing  of  God.  From 
.Gideon's  answer  v.  13,  it  would  ap- 
.pear  that  the  former  is  the  sense  in 
-this  passage.  Thus  Boaz  saluted 
his  reapers,  Ruth,  2,  4,  and  thus  the 
angel  accosted  the  mother  of  Christ, 
Luke  1.28.  IT  Thou  mightij  man 

of  V  alor.  This  appellatron  may 
a"t  once  have  been  founded  upon 
some  previous  display  of  courage 
and  personal  progress  put  forth  by 
Gideon,  and  may  also  have  been  pre- 
dictive of  the  character  he  should 
hereafter  exhibit  as  a  divinely  com- 
missioned and  qualified  deliverer  of 
his  countrymen.  The  instruments 
\vhich  God  chooses  to  effect  his  pur- 
poses he  endows,  strengthens.,  and 
animates  for  the  work  to  which  he 
calls  them.  Though  often  to  human 
view  unlikely  instruments,  yet  they 
will  ever  be  found  best  qualified  for 
i.he  employment  assigned  them. 


him,  O  my  Lord,  if  the  Lord  be 
with  us,  why  then  is  all  this  be- 
fallen  us  ?  and  p where  be  all  his 
miracles  i which  our  fathers  told 
us  of,  saying,  Did  not  the  Lord 
bring  us  up   from   Egypt?  but 

p  So  Ps.  89.  49.      Is   59.  1.  &  63   1-5.         q  Ps.  44.  1  ' 

13.  If  the  Liord  be  loith  us.  Chal. 
'is  the'Shechinah  of  the  Lord  for  our 
help  V  The  angel  it  will  "be  observed 
addressed  Gideon  in  the  singular, 
'  the  Lord  is  with  thee-\  but  he,  in 
his  reply,  continually  makes  use  of 
the  plural, — '  if  the  Lord  be  with  us' 
— showing  that  he  identified  himself 
with  his  people,  and  that  he  scarcely 
knew  how  to  conceive  of  the  divine 
presence  with  Aim,  when  there  was 
no  evidence  of  its  being  enjoyed  by 
them.  An  humble  and  self-distrust- 
ing spirit  is  always  backward  to  re- 
cognize the  special  tokens  of  the  di- 
vine favor,  and,  far  from  wishing  to 
monopolize  them,  is  anxious  that 
such  gracious  manifestations  should 
be  shared  by  others.  IT  Why  then 
is  all  this  befallen  us.  Heb.'w^hy 
hath  all  this  found  us  1.'  A  plain  ac- 
knowledgment that  the  evils  suflfer- 
ed  were  occasioned  .by  the  withdraw- 
ment  of  the  olivine  presence.  It  is 
supposed,  by  the  very  terms,  that  the 
continued  enjoyment  of  the  light  of 
God's  countenance  would  have  pre- 
cluded them.  IT  Where  be  all  his 
miracles,  &c.  Why  does  not  the 
same  power  w^hich  delivered  our  fa- 
thers from  the  yoke  of  the  Eg)- ptians, 
deliver  us  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
Midianites  1  '  It  is  sometimes  hard, 
but  never  impossible,  to  reconcile 
cross  providences  with  the  presence 
of  God  and  his  favor.'  Henry.  IT 
Delivered  us  into  tM  /lands  of  the 
3Iidianites.  Heb.  t]!:,  properly  the 
holloiv  of  the  ha7id ;  diflferent  from 
-ji  the  hand  usually  employed  in 
such  connections. — 'The  valiant 
man  was  here  weak,  weak  in  faith, 
weak  in  discourse,  whilst  he  argues 
God's  absence  by  affliction,  a^d  his 
presence  by  deliverances,  and  the 
unlikelihood  of  success,  by  his  own 
inability ;  all  gross  inconsequences. 


252 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1256. 


now  the  Lord  hath  'forsaken  us, 
and  delivered  us  into  the  hands 
of  the  Midianites. 

14  And  the  Lord  looked 
upon  him,  and  said,  'Go  in  this 
thy  might,  and  thou  shalt  save 
Israel  from  the  hand  of  the  Mid- 
ianites :   'have  not  I  sent  thee? 

15  And  he  said  unto  him,  O 


r  2  Chr.  15.  2. 
t  Josli.  1.  9.     ch 


I  Sam.  12.  11.     Heb.  11.  32,  34. 


Rather  should  he  have  inferred 
God's  presence  in  their  correction; 
for  wheresoever  God  chastises,  there 
he  is,  yea,  there  he  is  in  mercy.  No- 
thing more  proves  us  his  than  his 
stripes  :  he  will  not  bestow  chastise- 
ment where  he  loves  not.  Fond  na- 
ture thinks  God  should  not  suffer  the 
wind  to  blow  on  his  dear  ones,  but 
none  out  of  the  place  of  torment 
have  suffered  so  much  as  his  dearest 
children.  He  says  not,  '  We  are 
idolaters :  therefore  the  Lord  hath 
forsaken  us,  because  we  have  forsa- 
ken him.'  This  sequel  had  been  as 
good  as  the  other  was  faulty  ;  '  He 
hath  delivered  us  unto  the  Midian- 
ites, therefore  he  hath  forsaken  us.' 
Sins,  not  afflictions,  argue  God  ab- 
sent.'    Bp.  Hall 

14.  And  the  Lord  looked  upoji  him. 
That  is,  not  merely  directed  his  e5'es 
towards  him,  but  looked  upon  him 
efficaciously,  with  an  indescribable 
power  and  influence,  as  it  is  said, 
Luke  22.  61,  '  And  the  Lord  turned 
and  looked  upon  Peter;'  i.  e.  in  such 
a  way  as  he  only  could  look  upon 
him  ;  with  an  efficacy  absolutely  di- 
vine, the  consequence  of  which  was 
he  went  out  and  wept  bitterly. 
Here  however  the  look  was  one  of 
encouragement  and  favor,  one  which 
banished  his  fears  and  inspired  him 
with  new  life,  spirits,  and  confidence. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  the  language 
here  employed,  '  The  Lord  (Jeho- 
vah) looked  upon  him,'  plainly  dis- 
closes the  real  character  of  him  who 
is  above  called  an  angel.  IT  Go  in 
this  thy  strength.  In  the  supernatu- 
ral strength  and  fortitude  with  which 


my  Lord,  wherewith  shall  I 
save  Israel  ?  behold,  "my  family 
is  poor  in  Manasseh,  and  I  am 
the  least  in  my  father's  house. 

16  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
him,  ^Surely  I  will  be  with  thee, 
and  thou  shalt  smite  the  Midian- 
ites as  one  man. 

17  And  he  said  unto  him.  If 


u  See  1  Sam.  9.  21. 


Ex.  3.  12.     Josh.  1.  5. 


thou  perceivest  thyself  to  be  endow- 
ed as  the  result  of  this  interview. 
God  gives  men  a  commission  of  ser- 
vice by  giving  them  all  the  qualifi- 
cations necessary  for  the  execution 
of  it,  and  when  this  is  the  case  hu- 
man ceremonies  merely  recognise 
instead  of  creating  the  authority  un- 
der which  such  persons  act.  '  A 
good  cause,  a  good  calling,  and  a 
good  conscience  will  make  a  good 
courage.'     Trapp. 

15.  My  family  is  poor.  Heb, '  my 
thousand  is  the  meanest,  or  poorest,' 
From  Ex.  18.  25,  we  learn  that  the 
Israelites  were  divided  into  tens,Jif' 
lies,  hundreds,  and  thousands  ;  a  di- 
vision expressly  recognised  Mic.  5. 
2.  'Thou,  Beth-lehem  Ephratah, 
though  thou  be  little  among  the  thou- 
sands of  Israel,  &c.'  These  thou- 
sands embraced  of  course  numerous 
families,  and  the  assertion  of  Gid- 
eon seems  to  be,  that  the  thousand  to 
which  his  family  belonged  had  be- 
come not  only  greatly  diminished  in 
numbers,  but  also  impoverished  in  re- 
sources, so  that  they  could  do  little 
towards  withstanding  the  enemy. 
IT  Least  in  my  father's  house.  Either 
the  youngest,  or  in  his  apprehension 
the  least  competent  for  the  work  in 
question.  He  would  represent  him- 
self as  lacking  in  that  ability,  rank, 
and  influence  which  would  induce 
his  countrymen  to  join  his  standard 
in  an  enterprise  against  the  Midian- 
ites. 

16.  Smite  the  Midianites  as  one 
man.  As  easily  and  effectually  as  if 
they  were  but  one  man. 

'      17    Shoio  vie  a  sign,  that  thou  talk' 


A.  C.  1249.]  CHAPTER  VL 


253 


now  1  have  found  grace  in  thy 
sight,  then  -^shew  me  a  sign 
that  thou  talkest  with  me. 

18  ^Depart  not  thence,  I  pray 
thee,  until  I  come  unto  thee,  and 
bring  forth  my  present,  and  set 

y  Ki.  4.  1— S,     ver.  36,  37.    2  Kings  20.  8.     Ps.  86. 
17.     Is.  7.  a.        z  Gen.  18.   3,  5.     ci.   13.  15. 

^5^  loiih  me.  That  it  is  thou,  the  true 
and  real  Jehovah,  with  whom  I  am 
honored  to  speak;  that  there  is  no 
mistake,  no  illusion,  as  to  the  per- 
sonage with  whom  I  am  now  hold- 
ing converse.  This  request  seems 
to  have  been  prompted  by  a  momen- 
tary misgiving  whether  it  were 
really  the  divine  Being  himself  with 
whom  he  now  had  the  honor  of  an 
interview.  '  The  un usualness  of 
those  revelations,  in  those  corrupted 
times,  was  such,  that  Gideon  might 
think  of  any  thing  rather  than  ''an 
angel :  no  marvel  if  so  strange  a 
promise  from  an  unknown  messen- 
ger found  not  a  perfect  assent.  Fain 
would  he  believe,  but  fain  would 
have  good  warrant  for  his  faith.  In 
matters  of  faith  we  cannot  go  on  too 
sure  grounds :  as  Moses  therefore, 
being  sent  on  the  same  errand,  de- 
sired a  sign,  whereby  Israel  miglit 
know  that  God  sent  him;  so  Gideon 
desires  a  sign  from  this  bearer,  to 
know  that  this  news  is  from  God.' 
Bp.  Hall. 

18.  Bring  forth  my  present.  Heb. 
*i]nn:>3  '>''m  'nincha ;  a  word  usually 
employed  to  signify  a  nienl-offcring 
i.  e.  an  offering  of  bread,  wine,  oil, 
flour,  and  such  like,  as  is  observed  on 
Gen.  4.  3,  4.  This  has  led  some  com- 
mentators to  suppose  that  Gideon,  by 
such  an  oblation,  recognised  in  his 
visiter  a  divine  person,  whom  he  in- 
tended to  honor  by  a  real  sacrifice, 
and  in  fact  the  Greek  version  ren- 
ders it, '  I  will  bring  forth  a  sacrifice, 
and  sacrifice  before  thee.'  Others  re- 
gard it  merely  as  a  hospitable  meal 
provided  for  the  entertainment  of  a 
respectable  stranger.  But  in  this 
ease  it  is  not  so  easy  to  perceive  how 
Gideon  could  have  anticipated  the 
working  of  a  sign  or  miracl-e  in  con- 
22* 


it  before  thee.  And  he  said,  I 
will  tarry  until  thou  come 
again. 

19  ^  ^And  Gideon  went  in, 
and  made  ready  a  kid,  and  un- 
leavened cakes  of  an  ephah  of 


nection  with  the  offering,  as  it  is  evi- 
dent he  did.  He  would  seem  in  fact 
to  have  forgotten  the  request  which 
he  had  a  moment  before  made.  The 
remark  of  Henry  on  the  word  is  at 
least  very  plausible : — '  It  is  the  same 
word  that  is  used  for  a  meat-offering 
(meal-offering,)  and  perhaps  that 
word  which  signifies  both,  because 
Gideon  intended  to  leave  it  to  this 
divine  person,  to  determine  which^it 
should  be,  when  he  had  it  before 
him,  whether  a  feast,  or  a  meat-of- 
fering, and  accordingly  he  would  be 
able  to  judge  concerning  him;  if  he 
ate  of  it  as  common  meat,  he  would 
suppose  him  to  be  a  man,  a  prophet ; 
if  otherwise,  as  it  proved,  he  should 
know  him  to  be  an  angel.' 

19.  Made  ready  a  kid,  &c.  The 
manner  in  which  the  Arabs  still  en- 
tertain strangers  will  cast  light  up- 
on this  passage.  Shaw,  in  his  Pre- 
face, observes ; — '  Besides  a  bowl  of 
milk,  and  a  basket  of  figs,  raisins, 
or  dates,  which  upon  our  arrival 
were  presented  to  us,  to  stay  our 
appetites,  the  master  of  the  tent 
where  we  lodged,  fetched  us  from 
his  flock,  according  to  the  number 
of  our  company,  a  kid  or  a  goat,  a 
lamb  or  a  sheep,  half  of  which  v/as 
immediately  seethed  by  his  wife, 
and  served  with  cuscasoe;  the  rest 
was  made  kabab ;  i.  e.  cutinto  pieces 
and  roasted,  which  v/e  reserved  for 
our  breakfast  or  dinner  next  day.' 
*\\  Put  the  broth  in  a pot^  &c.  We 
are  to  infer,  according  to  the  editor 
of  the  Pictorial  Bible,  either  that 
Gideon  boiled  or  stewed  the  kid  and 
seived  up  the  meat  and  soup  separ- 
ately ;  or  else  that  he  stewed  one 
part  of  the  kid,  and  roasted  or  boiled 
the  other.  Both  methods  are  con- 
sonant to  oriental  usages  ;  and,  per- 


254 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249 


flour  :  the  flesh  he  put  in  a  has- 
ket,  and  he  put  the  broth  in  a  pot, 
and  brought  it  out  unto  him  un- 
der  the  oak,  and  presented  it. 

20  And  the  angel  of  God  said 
unto  him,  Take  the  flesh  and  the 
unleavened  cakes,  and  '^lay  them 
upon  -this  rock,  and  'pour  out 
the  broth.     And  he  did  so. 

21  IF  Then  the  angel  of  the 
Lord  put  forth  the  end  of  the 
staff*  that  was  in  his  hand,  and 
touched  the  flesh  and  the  unleav- 

b  ch.  13.  19.  c  See  1  Kings  18.  33,  34. 


ened  cakes ;  and  '^there  rose 
up  fire  out  of  the  rock,  and  con- 
sumed  the  flesh  and  the  un- 
leavened cakes.  Then  the  an- 
gel of  the  Lord  departed  out  of 
his  sight. 

22  And  when  Gideon  ^per- 
ceived that  he  vms  an  angel  of 
the  Lord,  Gideon  said,  Alas,  O 
Lord  God  !  ""for  because  I  have 
seen  an  angel  of  the  Lord  face 
to  face. 

23  And  the  Lord  said  unto 

d  Lev   9.  i24.     1  Kings  18.38.     2  Chr.  7.  1.        e  ch. 
13.  21.     f  Gen.  16.  13.  41.32.  30.  Ex.  33.  20.  ch.  13  22. 


haps,  the  latter  is  the  best  hypothe- 
sis, as  the  animal  thus  divided  may 
be  the  more  speedily  dressed.  In  this 
case,  the  roasted  part  was  probably 
prepared  in  the  most  usual  way  of 
preparing  a  hascy  dish,  that  is,  by 
cuuing  the  meat  into  small  pieces, 
several  of  which  are  strung  upon  a 
skewer,  and  so  roasted  or  rather 
broiled  ;  as  several  of  these  skewers 
of  meat  can  be  dressed  together,  a 
meal  may  in  this  way  be  very  soon 
prepared.  This  dish,  he  remarks, 
is  called  kaboob,  and  is  very  com- 
mon in  western  Asia.  When  meat 
is  thus  dressed  in  itvo  ways,  the  stew 
is  generally  intended  for  immediate 
use,  and  the  kaboob  for  a  future 
meal,  or  for  the  traveller  to  carry 
with  him  for  his  refreshment  on  the 
way.  As  Gideon  brought  the  meat, 
as  distinguished  from  the  'broth,'  in 
a  basket,  it  was  probably  intended 
by  him  that  the  stranger  should  take 
it  away  with  him  for  his  future  use. 
This  was  a  proper  mark  of  careful 
hospitality  and  attention.  The  bas- 
ket was,  probably,  a  small  hand-bas- 
ket made  of  palm-leaves  or  rashes. 
IT  Bronsht  it  out  unto  him  under  the 
oak.  See  note  on  Gen.  18.  6 — 8. 
The  Arabs  are  accustomed,  even  to 
the  present  day,  to  receive  their 
guests  under  a  shade  in  the  open  air. 
21.  There  rose  up  fire  out  of  the 
rock,  &c.  Showing  hereby  that  he 
was  not  a  man  who  needed  meat, 


but  the  Son  of  God,  who  was  to  be 
served  and  honored  by  sacrifice; 
and  signifying  also  to  Gideon  that 
he  had  '  found  grace  in  his  sight,' 
for  God  usually  testified  his  accep- 
tance of  sacrifices,  by  kindling  them 
with  fire  from  heaven.  The  accep- 
tance of  the  sacrifice  was  also  a  to- 
ken of  the  acceptance  of  his  person ; 
it  went  to  confirm  the  commission 
now  given  him,  and  to  afibrd  him 
every  needed  assurance  of  success. 
ir  Departed  out  of  his  sight.  Though 
he  had  hitherto  appeared  in  the  form 
of  a  traveller,  with  a  statF  in  his 
hand,  yet  he  did  not  walk  olf  as  a 
man,  but  vanished  and  disappeared 
as  a  spirit ;  perhaps  in  the  flame  of 
fire  which  he  had  kindled.  Comp, 
ch.  13.  20. 

22.  Perceived  that  he  was  an  an- 
gel of  the  Lord.  Rather,  '  Perceived 
that  he  was /Ae  angel  of  the  Lord.' 
V.  11.  Comp.  Gen.  32.  30.  Ex  33.20. 
IF  Alas!  O  Lord  God !  &c.  An  ellip- 
tical sentence  strikingly  expressive 
of  the  agitation  and  terror  into 
which  Gideon  was  thrown,  upon 
discovering  the  real  character  of 
the  Angel.  It  is,  as  if  he  had  said, 
'  Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  Lord  God, 
or  I  shall  surely  die,  because  I  have 
seen  the  angel  of  Jehovah  face  to 
face  !'  As  remarked  upon  Gen.  16. 
13,  it  was  anciently  a  prevalent  sen- 
timent, that  if  any  man  saw  God,  or 
his  representative  Angel,  he  must 


A.  C.  1249.]  CHAPTER  VI. 

?Peace  he  unto  thee 


him, 

not  :  thou  shalt  not  die. 

24  Then  Gideon  built  an  al- 
tar  there  unto  the  Lord,  and 
called  it  Jehovah-shalom  :  unto 


fear   this  day  it  is  yet 
the  Abi-ezrites. 
25  IT  And  it 
the  same  night. 


die.  On  this  account,  Gideon  is 
alarmed  and  prays  for  his  life. 
'  Ever  since  man  has  by  sin  exposed 
himself  to  God's  wrath  and  curse, 
an  express  from  heaven  has  been  a 
terror  to  him,  as  he  scarcely  dares 
expect  good  tidings  thence  ;  at  least, 
in  this  world  of  sense,  it  is  a  very 
awful  thing  to  have  any  sensible 
conversation  with  that  world  of  spi- 
rits, to  which  we  are  so  much  stran- 
gers.'   Henry. 

23.  The  Lord  said  unto  him,  Peace 
be  unto  thee^  Sue.  '  Peace,'  i.  e.  safely, 
life,  well-being ;  the  exact  reverse 
of  what  he  feared.  It  is  uncertain 
whether  this  was  spoken  in  an  aud- 
ible voice,  or  by  inward  suggestion; 
probably  the  latter.  '  The  angel  that 
departed  for  the  wonder,  yet  returns 
for  the  comfort  of  Gideon.  It  is  not 
usual  with  God  to  leave  his  children 
hi  amaze,  but  he  brings  them  out  in 
the  same  mercy  which  led  them  in, 
and  will  magnify  his  grace  in  the 
one,  no  less  than  his  power  in  the 
other.'     Bp.  Hall. 

24.  Gideon  built  an  altar  there — 
and  called  it  Jehovah-shalom.  That 
is,  upon  the  top  of  the  rock,  on 
which  the  miracle  had  been  wrought, 
V.  26.  The  purpose  for  which  the 
altar  was  erected,  is  explained  in  the 
verses  immediately  following.  The 
words  sVD"I3  nitl"'  Jehovah  Shalom, 
literally  signify,  The  Lord,  peace, 
and  he  probably  so  denominated  the 
altar,  in  reference  to  the  assurance 
of  peace  and  blessing  given  him  on 
that  memorable  spot. 

25.  And  it  came  to  pass  the  same 
night.  Rather,  \for  it  came  to  pass 
the  same  night;'  intimating  the  rea- 
son that  led  him  to  erect  the  altar. 
The  incident  is  mentioned  in  the 
preceding  verse  by  anticipation. 
There  is  no  ground  to  suppose  that 
Gideon  erected  the  altar  before  he 


255 

^in  Ophrah  of 

came  to    pass 
that  the  Lord 


said  unto  him,  Take  thy  father's 


had  received  the  divine  command 
for  so  doing,  and  that  was  not  till 
the  night  after  the  vision,  as  is  evi- 
dent from  what  follows.  But  it  is 
entirely  accordant  with  Scripture 
usage  to  relate  an  event  at  first  in 
the  gross,  in  a  general  and  compen- 
dious wa)',  and  afterwards  to  de- 
scribe it  in  detail,  wiih  an  express 
enumeration  of  all  the  circum- 
stances. 

25.  Take  thy  fathefs  young  bullock, 
even  the  second  bullock.  Or,  Heb. 
'and  the  second  bullock,' implying 
that  two  bullocks  were  now  to  be 
slain ;  but  as  mention  is  made  of 
only  one  in  v.  26,  28,  our  present 
rendering  is  probably  correct.  But 
why  this  animal  is  distinguished 
by  the  epithet  '  second,'  is  a  question 
not  easily  answered.  It  may  be  con- 
jectured, that  the  Midianites  had 
taken  away  all  the  cattle  of  the  Is- 
raelites that  they  could  lay  their 
hands  upon,  so  that  Gideon's  father 
had  very  few  cattle  left,  perhaps  on- 
ly two,  and  of  these  the  '  second,'  in 
point  of  age,  Gideon  is  now  directed 
to  offer  as  the  fittest  for  sacrifice. 
After  all,  the  grounds  of  the  epithet 
cannot  be  satisfactorily  settled. — 
As  Gideon's  father  appears  to  have 
been  addicted  to  idolatry,  as  well  as 
many  of  his  fellow-townsmen,  it  may 
be,  as  many  of  the  elder  commenta- 
tors suppose,  that  this  bullock  had 
been  kept  and  fattened  by  him  for  a 
sacrifice  to  Baal.  IT  The  altar  of 

Baal  that  thy  father  hath.  Which 
belonged  to  his  father,  probably  as 
being  built  on  his  ground,  and  the 
place  of  his  worship,  though  evi- 
dently designed  for  the  common  use 
of  the  whole  city,  v.  29—30.  '^Cut 
down  the  grove  that  is  by  it.  Prob- 
ably a  grove  dedicated  to  Ashtaroth, 
and  perhaps  containing  her  image, 
as  the  original  w^ord  is  ri'^XHi  Asher- 


256 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249. 


young  bullock,  even  ihe  second 
bullock  of  seven  years  old,  and 
throw  down  the  altar  of  Baal 
that  thy  father  hath,  and  'cut 
down  the  "grove  that  is  by  it : 

26  And  build  an  altar  unto 
the  Lord  thy  God  upon  the  top 
of  this  rock,  in  the  ordered  place, 
and  take  the  second  bullock,  and 
offer  a  burnt-sacrifice  with  the 
wood  of  the  grove  which  thou 
shalt  cut  down. 

27  Then  Gideon  took  ten 
men  of  his  servants,  and  did  as 
the  LoKD  had   said   unto  him  : 


ak,  on  which  see  note  on  ch.  3.  7. 
'  First  must  Baal's  altar  be  ruined, 
ere  God's  be  built:  both  may  not 
stand  together:  the  true  God  will 
have  no  society  with  idols,  neither 
will  allow  it  us.  I  do  not  hear  him 
say,  '  That  altar  and  grove,  which 
were  abused  to  Baal,  consecrate 
now  to  me:'  but  as  one  whose  holy 
jealousy  will  abide  no  worship  till 
there  be  no  idolatry,  he  first  com- 
mands down  the  monuments  of 
superstition,  and  then  enjoins  his 
own  service :  the  wood  of  Baal's 
grove  must  be  used  to  burn  a  sacri- 
fice unto  God.  When  it  was  once 
cut  down,  God's  detestation  and 
their  danger  ceased :  the  good  crea- 
tures of  God,  that  have  been  profan- 
ed to  idolatry,  may,  in  a  change  of 
their  use,  be  employed  to  the  holy 
service  of  their  Maker.'  Bp.Hall. 

26.  Upon  the  top  of  this  rock.  Heb. 
'  upon  the  top  of  this  strong-hold.' 
The  native  rock  had  probably  been 
in  some  way  fortified  and  converted 
into  a  fortress,  to  secure  them  from 
the  Midianites.  IT  In  the  ordered 
place.  Or,  Heb.  'in  an  orderly 
manner.'  The  original  signifies 
arrangement,  disposition,  order,  and 
doubtfess  has  reference  to  the  pre- 
scribed mode  of  erecting  the  altar, 
Ex.  20.  24,  25,  and  also  of  laying  on 
the  wood  and  the  pieces  of  flesh 


and  so  it  was,  because  he  feared 
his  fatiier's  household,  and  the 
men  of  the  city,  that  he  could 
not  do  it  by  day,  that  he  did  it 
by  night. 

2S  ^  And  when  the  men  of 
the  city  arose  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, behold,  the  altar  of  Baal 
was  cast  down,  and  the  grove 
was  cut  down  that  ivas  by  it, 
and  the  second  bullock  was  of- 
fered upon  the  altar  that  was 
built. 

29  And  they  said  one  to  ano- 
ther, Who  hath  done  this  thing? 


prepared  for  sacrifice.  The  cere- 
mony was  to  be  gone  about  with 
care' and  reverence;  it  was  not  to 
be  performed  in  a  cursory,  hurried, 
or  irregular  manner,  but  with  a  due 
observance  of  all  the  appointed  for- 
malities. Although  Gideon  was  not 
a  priest,  nor  was  this  the  established 
place  of  sacrifice  or  worship,  yet 
God  may  dispense  with  his  own  in- 
stitutions, whenever  it  seems  good  in 
his  eyes.  His  call  and  commission 
can  "'make  any  person,  and  his 
choice  any  place,  sacred. 

27.  Feared  his  father's  household. 
Lest  they  should  have  opposed  him 
from  an'apprehension,  that  the  de- 
struction of  the  altar  would  incense 
the  Midianites,  and  so  bring  aug- 
mented evil  upon  themselves,  v.  30. 
It  is  not  to  be  inferred  that  Gideon 
feared  the  resentment  of  his  kindred 
or  neighbors,  or  that  he  shrunk  from 
any  danger  connected  with  the  un- 
dertaking ;  but  as  a  matter  of  policy 
and  prudence,  he  saw  fit  to  engage 
in  the  enterprise  by  night,  when  he 
would  be  least  exposed  to  interrup- 
tion or  opposition  from  the  votaries 
of  Baal.  It  appears  obvious  that 
his  father  was  of  this  number ;  ac- 
cordingly he  look  ten  of  his  own 
servants,  in  whom  he  could  confide, 
and  who,  we  may  suppose,  had  like 
their  master  preserved  their  integ- 


A.  C.  1249.] 


CHAPTER  VI. 


257 


And  when  they  inquired  and 
asked,  they  said,  Gideon  the  son 
of  Joash  hath  done  this  thing. 

30  Then  the  men  of  the  city 
said  unto  Joash,  Bring  out  thy 
son,  that  he  may  die  :  because 

rity,  and  not  'bowed  the  knee  to 
Baal,'  and  by  their  aid  faithfully  ex- 
ecuted the  work  enjoined  upon  him. 

29.  They  said,  Gideon  the  son  of 
Joash  hath  done  this  thing.  By  what 
means  they  satisfied  ihemselves  of 
this,  we  are  not  informed.  The 
original,  by  using  two  nearly  syno- 
nimous  words,  '^rp-'^l  "^laiT^  ^^'^V 
inquired  and  investigated,  implies 
that  a  very  careful  and  diligent  in- 
quiry was  made.  It  is  probable  that 
Gideon  had  been  previously  known 
to  be  somewhat  disaffected  to  the 
prevalent  idolatry,  and  upon  put- 
ting this  and  all  other  circumstances 
together,  they  hesitate  not  to  fix  their 
suspicions  upon  him,  which  may 
have  been  confirmed  by  the  disclo- 
sures of  some  of  the  party  engaged 
with  him.  In  some  way  or  other, 
the  evidence  was  conclusive  against 
him,  and  nothing  but  his  blood  could 
satisfy  the  persecuting  rage  of  his 
idolatrous  fellow-townsmen. 

30.  Bring  out  thy  son  thai  he  may 
die.  As  a  profane  and  sacrilegious 
wretch.  To  such  a  pitch  of  impiety 
were  these  degenerate  Israelites  ar- 
rived, that  they  do  not  scruple  to 
call  upon  Jeash  to  deliver  up  his 
own  son  to  death,  for  aiming  to  sup- 
press practices,  which,  if  the  law 
had  had  its  course,  would  have  sub- 
jected them  to  death.  The  divine 
law  expressly  prescribed  that  the 
worship  of  idols  should  be  treated 
as  a  capital  offence,  and  yet  these 
wicked  men  impiously  turn  the 
penalty  upon  the  worshippers  of  the 
God  of  Israel  1  '  Was  it  not  enough 
to  offer  the  choicest  of  their  bullocks 
to  Baal,  but  must  the  bravest  youths 
of  their  city  fall  as  a  sacrifice  to  that 
dunghill  deity,  when  they  pretended 
he  was  provoked  '?  How  soon  will 
idolaters  become  persecutors.'  Hen- 
ry.     Rosenmuller    suggests,   with 


he  hath  cast  down  the  altar  of 
Baal,  and  because  he  hath  cut 
down  the  grove  that  loas  by  it. 
31  And  Joash  said  unto  all 
that  stood  against  him,  Will  ye 
plead    for    Baal?  will  ye   save 


much  plausibility,  that  it  was  in  re- 
ference to  this  incident  Gideon  de- 
rived his  name,  with  posterity,  from 
5J-[3  Gada,  to  cut  or  hew  doion,  q.  d. 
a  cutter-down,  a  demolisher.  Innu- 
merable instances  occur  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, in  which  persons  are  called 
by  acquired,  and  not  by  their  origi- 
nal names,  the  latter  being  in  fact 
often  entirely  lost. 

31.  Joash  said  unto  all  that  stood 
against  him,  &c.  Joash  had  evident- 
ly before  been  a  patron  of  Baal's 
altar,  but  here  he  appears  decidedly 
taking  part  with  his  son  who  had 
demolished  it.  To  what  the  sudden 
change  in  his  mind  was  owing,  we 
are  not  informed.  The  probability, 
we  think,  is,  that  Gideon,  perceiv- 
ing in  the  morning  to  what  a  pitch 
of  exasperation  the  citizens  were 
wrought,  and  how  seriously  they 
threatened  his  life,  took  occasion 
frankly  to  inform  his  father  of  the 
visit  of  the  angel,  and  of  all  the  cir- 
cumstances of  his  call  and  commis- 
sion, and  that  this  added  to  his  feel- 
ings as  a  father,  had  served  at  once 
to  convince  him  of  his  former  error 
and  to  determine  him  to  stand  by 
his  son  against  the  rage  of  the  popu- 
lace. His  argument  is  briefly  this; 
— Do  not  act  thus  precipitately 
against  my  son ;  for  if  Baal  be  really 
a  God,  he  will  avenge  his  own  cause, 
and  if  he  be  not  a  god,  then  they 
who  plead  for  him  deserve  instant 
death.  A  deity  who  cannot  defend 
himself,  is  unworthy  of  the  defence 
of  others.  This  reasoning  was  un- 
answerable, and  it  prevailed.  It 
was,  in  fact,  a  fair  challenge  to  Baal 
to  '  do  either  good  or  evil,'  and  the 
result  convinced  his  worshippers  of 
their  folly  in  praying  to  one  to  help 
them  who  could  not  defend  himself. 
—The  following  is  proposed  as  an 
amended  translation  of  this  verse,  of 


258 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249. 


him  ?  he  that  will  plead  for  him, 
let  him  be  put  to  death  whilst  it 
is  yet  morning  :  if  he  le  a  god, 
let  him  plead  for  himself,  be- 
cause one  hath  cast  down  his 
altar. 

32  Therefore  on  that  day  he 


which  of  course  the  Hebrew  scholar 
alone  is  qualified  to  pronounce  judg- 
ment;— '  And  Joash  said  unto  all 
-that  stood  against  (rather,  by,  npon^ 
i.  e.  round  about,  him),  Will  ye 
plead  for  Baal  1  will  ye  save  him 
(Gideon)?  seeing  that  if  he  were  a  god 
whosoever  should  have  dared  to  con- 
tend with  him  (Baal)  would  have 
died  before  morning  ;  if  he  is  a  god 
he  will  himself  ^]e3A  with  him  (Gid- 
eon), because  he  hath  cast  down 
his  altar.'  The  drift  of  Joash,  as  we 
understand  the  passage,  is  to  repre- 
sent to  Baal's  votaries  how  absurd  it 
is  for  ther.i  to  undertake  to  avenge 
the  insult  done  to  their  idol,  when  if 
he  were  a  god,  as  they  thought  him 
to  be,  he  would  assuredly  have  taken 
the  matter  into  liis  own  liands  and 
punished  the  offender  on  the  spot 
Avithout  suffering  him  to  see  the 
light  of  the  morning.  We  have  little 
doubt  that  this  is  the  true  sense  of 
the  words.  The  common  version 
is  not  only  contradictory  in  making 
Joash  propose,  that  he  who  pleadeth 
for  Baal  should  be  immediately  put 
to  death,  and  then  asserting  that  Baal 
should  plead  for  himself;  but  it 
erroneously  renders  ^pSn — iP  by 
whilst  it  is  yet  viorning^  when  its 
true  signification  is  %uitil  or  against 
the  morning,  i.  e.  he  would  ha^'e 
perished  against  or  previous  to  the 
morning;  Baal  would  have  killed 
him  outright.  The  proposed  ren- 
dering is  clearly  confirmed  by  the 
tenor  of  the  next  verse.  The  con- 
duct of  Joash,  under  these  circum- 
stances, leads  us  to  remark,  (1.) 
That  if  we  have  been  zealous  in  a 
bad  cause,  we  should  with  greater 
zeal  seek  to  amend  what  we  have 
done  amiss,  by  our  open  advocacy 


called  him  '^Jerubbaal,  saying, 
Let  Baal  plead  against  him,  be- 
cause he  hath  thrown  dov/n  his 
altar.  - 

33  IT  Then  all  ithe  Midianites, 
and  the  Amalekites^  and  the 
children  of  the  east  were  gath- 

k  I  Sam.  12    U.       2  Sam.  11.  21.      See  Jer.  11. 13. 
no<.  9.  10.        1  ver.  3. 


of  the  truth.  (2.)  Nothing  must  pre- 
vail upon  us  to  give  up  the  innocent, 
whoever  combine  to  destroy  them, 
(3.)  Though  it  may  be  highly  dan- 
gerous to  reprove  a  wicked  people, 
we  must  do  our  duty,  and  trust  God 
with  the  event, 

32.  He  called  him.  Rather  accord- 
ing to  the  Heb.  idiom  '  he  was  call- 
ed ;'  not  that  his  father  particularly 
gave  him  that  name,  but  it  became 
an  appellation  by  which  he  was  gen- 
erally called.  '^Jerubbaal.  Heb. 
^5>^'1-i  Yerubbaal,  doubtless  contract- 
ed from  ^5:3  ^i-ii  one  with  whom  Baal 
pleads  or  contends ;  i.  e.  impliedly, 
one  with  whom  Baal  may  plead  if  he 
pleases ;  with  whom  he  is  challeng- 
ed to  plead  if  he  can  or  dare.  Ac- 
cording to  a  very  common  usage,  h 
is  a  kind  of  play  upon  the  original  "^ 
word  for  2^'t^ad  (^'^n  ''^c^)  which 
occurs  so  often  in  the  preceding 
verse.  The  name  was  evidently 
intended  to  imply  a  standing  defi- 
ance to  Baal,  LO  do  his  worst  upon 
Gideon  and  his  adherents.  Instead 
of  this  name,  we  find  in  2  Sam,  11. 
21,  the  equivalent  title  r,:rn'n*i  Yer- 
ubbosheth,  i.  e.  the  -.shame,  or  the  abo^ 
rriination,  shall  contend,  applied  to 
Gideon.  Baal  is  in  several  instances 
called,  in  the  prophets,  'the  shame,' 

'  the  shameful  thing,'  &c.  See  Jer. 
11.  13.  Hos.  9.  10.  ^Saying,  Lei 
Baal,  &,c.  Rather,  '  meaning.  Let 
Baal,'  &c.  Thus  the  original 
("i?3sb)  ^s  often  to  be  imderstood. 
Tt  is  equivalent  to  the  phrase, 
*  Which  being  interpreted  is,'  &c. 

33.  Then  all  the  Midianites  and 
the  Amalelcites — went  over.  Heb.  'all 
Midian  and  Amalek.'  They  passed 
over  the  Jordan  and  crossed  the 
country  as  far  as  to  the  borders  of 


A.  C.  1249.] 


CHAPTER  VI. 


259 


ered  together,  and  went  over, 
and  pitched  in  '"the  valley  of 
Jezreel. 

34  But  "the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
came  upon  Gideon,  and  he  °b!ew 
a  trumpet ;  and  Abi-ezer  was 
gathered  after  hun. 

35  And  he  sent  messengers 
throughout  all  Manasseh  ;  who 
also  was  gathered  after  him  : 
and    he   sent   messengers    unto 

111  Josh.  17.  16.     n  cli.  3.  10.     1  Chr.  li.  18.     B  Ci;r. 
21.  20.         o. Num.,  10.  3..    ch   3-  27. 

Manasseh  and  Issachar,  and  pitched 
in  the  '  plain'  (rather  than  the  '  val- 
ley') of  Esdraelon,  anciently  called 
Jezreel,  of  \s:hich  see  on  ch.  5.  21, 

34.  The  spirit  of  th^ Lard  came  up-. 
071  Gideon.  Heb.  'the  spirit  of  the 
Lord  .clothed  Gideon.'  That  is, 
filled  him  up  fully,  possessed  him 
entirely,  raising  him  above  him- 
self, in  all  the  endowments  neces- 
sary for  his  arduous  undertaking. 
Chal.  'a  spirit  of  fortitude  from  be- 
fore the  Lord  clothed  Gideon.'  The 
phrase  is  remarkable,  as  intimating 
his  being  indued  with  supernatural 
courage,  zeal,  and  M'isdom  in  the 
prosecution  of  the  work  before  him. 
Being  thus  clothed  with  the  armor  of 
God  he  '  waxed  valiant  in  fight,'  and 
was  enabled  to  '  turn  to  flight  the  ar- 
mies of  the  aliens.'  The  same  phrase 
in  the  original  occurs  1  Chron.  13. 18. 
2  Chron.  24.  20,  though  in  both  in- 
stances rendered  in  our  version, 
'  The  spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon,' 
which  comes  far  short  of  the  force 
and  significancy  of  the  Hebrew.  A 
similar  phraseology  is  met  with  in 
the  N.  T.  Luke  24.49,  '  Tarry  ye  in 
the  city  of  Jerusalem,  till  ye  be  en- 
dued (Gr.  clothed)  icil-h  powc^-  from 
on  high.'  IT  And  he  bleto  a  trumpet. 
Caused  trumpets  to  be  blown  to  call 
in  volunteers,  as  we  before  remark- 
ed of  Ehud,  ch.  a.  27.  '^  Abiezer 
teas  gathered  after  him.  Heb.  '  was 
called  together,  was  convoked  by 
proclamation.'  By  Abiezer,  is  meant 
the  house  or  family  of  Abiezer,  the 


Asher,  and  unto  Zebulun,  and 
unto  Naphtali ;  and  they  came 
up  to  meet  them, 

36  H  And  Gideon  said  unto 
God,  If  thou  wilt  save  Israel  by 
my  hand,  as  thou  hast  said, 

37  pBehold,  1  will  put  a 
fleece  of  wool  in  the  floor  :  and 
if  the  dew  be  on  the  fleece  only, 
and  it  he  dry  upon  all  the  earth 
besides,  then  shall  I  know  that 

,p  See  Ex.  4.  3,  1,  6,  7. 


kindred  of  Gideon,  as  Israel  often 
stands  for  Israelites. 

35.  Throughout  all  Manasseh.  Pro- 
bably on  boih  sides  the  Jordan.  If 
Unto  Asher — Zebulun — and  Naph- 
tali These  were  near  to  the  half 
tribe  of  Manasseh  on  the  north.  As 
they  naturally  concluded  that  if  their 
neighbors  were  overrun  by  the  Mi- 
dianites,  their  own  turn  would  come 
next,  they  were  forward  to  unite 
against  a  common  enemy.  The 
tribe  of  Ephraim  lay  to  the  south  of 
Manasseh.  They  were  not  invited, 
and  this  gave  rise  to  the  crimination 
mentioned  ch.  8.  1, 

37.  IvriU  put  a  fleece  of  wool,  &c. 
It  is  exceedingly  di  Ihcult  to  determine 
whether  Gideon  desired  the  working 
of  this  miracle  for  the  confirmation 
of  his  own  wavering  faith,  or  main- 
ly to  strengthen  the  confidence  of 
his  followers.  From  the  circum- 
stances of  his  interview  with  the 
Angel,  from  the  success  of  his  en- 
deavors to  destroy  idolatry  in  his 
father's  house,  from  the  readiness  of 
several  of  the  tribes  to  enlist  under 
his  banners,  and  more  especially 
from  its  being  said  just  before,  that 
he  was  'clothed  with  the  spirit  of 
the  Lord,'  ii  would  seem  scarcely 
credible  that  he  could  have  desired 
any  stronger  assurance  himself  of 
the  divine  presence  and  blessing. 
Yet  considering  the  weakness  of 
human  nature,  it  is  more  than  pos- 
sible that  this  might  have  been  the 
case  J    that  the  view  of  the  great 


260 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249. 


thou  wilt  save  Israel  by  my 
hand,  as  thou  hast  said. 

38  And  it  was  so :  for  he 
rose  up  early  on  the  morrow, 
and  thrust  the  fleece  together, 

multitudes  of  the  enemy  may  have 
rather  intimidated  his  spirit,  and 
made  him  anxious  for  a  still  farther 
manifestation  of  the  divine  favor, 
as  the  seal  of  his  commission.  Some 
have  even  supposed  that  God,  who 
intended  to  vouchsafe  to  him  these 
new  tokens  of  his  mission,  put  into 
his  heart  to  ask  them.  However  this 
may  be,  the  result  went,  (1.)  To  il- 
lustrate the  divine  condescension. 
God,  instead  of  being  offended  with 
his  servant,  kindly  acceded  to  his 
request.  A  fellow  creature  who  had 
given  such  solemn  promises,  would 
have  been  quite  indignant  at  finding 
his  veracity  seemingly  called  in 
question.  How  offensive  was  the 
apparent  tenor  of  the  request;—'  If 
thoa  wilt  save  Israel  by  mine  hand, 
and  do  as  thou  hast  said,  behold  I  will 
put  a  fleece  of  wool  on  the  floor;, 
and  if  the  dew  be  on  the  fleece  only, 
and  it  be  dry  upon  all  the  earth  be- 
side, then  shall  I  know  that  thou  wilt 
save  Israel  by  mine  hand,  as  thou 
hast  said.'  Nor  did  even  this  suf- 
fice;  he  must  go  still  farther,  and 
prove  God  a  second  time  by  revers- 
ing the  request,  before  he  can  believe 
that  God  loill  do  as  he  has  said.  Vet 
the  Most  High,  in  his  amazing  cle- 
mency, far  from  being  offended, 
gives  him  the  satisfaction  he  desires 
and  accomodates  himself  to  the 
wishes  of  his  doubting  servant !  '  Is 
this,  O  Lord,  the  manner  of  men  !' 
(2.)  To  show  the  efficacy  of  prayer. 
It  was  prayer  that  prevailed  in  this 
instance.  With  great  humility  and 
much  tenderness  of  spirit,  Gideon 
besought  the  divine  interposition. 
When  he  repeated  his  request  for  a 
second  sign,  the  reverse  of  the  for- 
mer, he  did  it  with  an  humble  apo- 
logy, like  Abraham  in  similar  cir- 
cumstances, deprecating  God's  dis- 
pleasure, because  ii.  looked  so  much 


and  wringed  the  dew  out  of  the 
fleece,  a  bowl-full  of  water. 

39  And  Gideon  said  unto 
God,  "^Let  not  thine  anger  be  hot 
against  me,  and  I  will  speak  but 

q  Gen.  18.  32. 

like  a  capricious  distrust,  and  his 
supplication  prevailed.  So  we,  un- 
der circumstances  of  pressing  exi- 
gency, may  look  for  a  gracious  an- 
swer to  our  importunate  prayers. 
Not  that  we  are  to  expect  miracu- 
lous manifestations,  for  the  age  of 
miracles  is  pasi,butwe  may  confi- 
dently expect  that  even  in  relation 
to  temporal  matters,  our  prayers 
will  not  go  forth  in  vain;  while  in 
reference  to  spiritual  matters,  they 
shall  descend  almost  in  visible  an- 
swers on  our  souls.  Were  we  to 
suppose  the  whole  church,  or  neigh- 
borhood where  we  dwell,  to  be  in  a 
state  of  the  utmost  barrenness  and  de- 
solation, as  it  respects  the  blessings 
of  salvation,  yet  if  we  cry  earnestly 
to  God  the  dew  ol  his  grace  shall 
descend  upon  us  in  the  richest  abun- 
dance. If,  on  the  oiher  hand,  the 
judgments  of  heaven  are  poured 
forth  around  us,  to  us  a  merciful 
exemption  shall  be  given,  according 
to  the  divine  promise,  '  A  thousand 
shall  fall  at  thy  side,  and  ten  thou- 
sand at  thy  riglit  hand,  but  it  shall 
not  come  nigh  thee.'  No  man  can 
conceive  to  what  an  extent  God  will 
magnify  his  grace  and  condescen-- 
sion  towards  an  humble  supplicant,, 
calling  upon  him  from  the  depths  of 
his  soul,  till  he  has  himself  made 
the  happy  experiment.  '  We  may 
ask  what  we  will,  and  it  shall  be 
done  unto  us,'  !!  Dry  upon  all  the 
earth  beside.  Upon  all  the  ground 
immediately  adjacent  to  the  place. 

38.  A  bowl  full  of  water.  For  an 
account  of  ihe  abuiidant  dews  which 
fall  in  the  East,  see  note  on  Gen,  27.. 
28.  '  We  remember,'  says  the  edi- 
tor of  the  Pictorial  Bible  on  this 
place,  '  while  travelling  in  Western 
Asia,  to  have  found  all  the  baggage, 
v.'hich  had  been  left  in  the  open  air, 
so  w^et,  when  we  came  forth  from 


A.  C.  1249.] 


CHAPTER  VII. 


261 


this  once  :  Let  me  prove,  I  pray 
thee,  but  this  once  with  the 
fleece ;  let  it  now  be  dry  only 
upon  the  fleece,  and  upon  ail  the 
ground  let  there  be  dew. 

40  And  God  did  so  that  night : 
for  it  was  dry  upon  the  fleece 
only,  and  there  was  dew  on  all 
the  ground. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
n^HEN    ^'Jerubbaal    (who 


IS 


Gideon)  and  all  the  people 


the  tent  in  the  morning,  that  it  seem- 
ed to  have  been  exposed  to  heavy 
rain,  and  we  could  with  difficulty 
believe  that  no  rain  had  fallen.  So 
also,  when  sleeping  in  the  open  air, 
the  sheep-skin  cloak  which  served 
for  a  covering  has  been  found  in  the 
morning,  scarcely  less  wet  than  if 
it  had  been  immersed  in  water.' 

39,  Let  me  prove — 2cith  the  fleece. 
Let  me  make  trial.  IT  Let  it  be  dry 
upon  the  fleece.  This  might  be  con- 
sidered a  more  extraordinary  event 
than  the  former,  as  it  is  natural  for 
wool  to  absorb  whatever  moisture 
there  may  be  in  the  air  about  it ;  but 
this  was  in  direct  contravention  of 
the  ordinary  laws  of  nature.  '  So 
willing  is  God  to  give  to  the  heirs  of 
promise  strong  consolation.,  even  by 
two  immutable  things.  He  suffers 
himself,  not  only  to  be  prevailed 
with  by  their  importunities,  but  to 
be  prescribed  to  by  their  doubts  and 
dissatisfactions.'     Henry. 

CHAPTER  VII. 
1.  ThewellofHarod.  Heb. 'foun- 
tain of  Harod,'  i.  e.  of  trepidation. 
If  this  were  a  town  or  village  it  is  no 
where  else  mentioned.  Probably 
as  Tin  Harad  signifies  to  shake  or 
tremble  through  fear,  the  fountain 
may  have  had  its  name  from  the  ter- 
ror and  panic  with  which  the  Mid- 
ianites  were  seized  at  this  place ;  or, 
what  is  still  more  likely,  from  the 
fear  which  induced  many  of  his  ad- 

23 


that  were  with  him,  rose  up 
early  and  pitched  beside  the 
well  of  Harod  :  so  that  the  host 
of  the  Midianites  were  on  the 
north  side  of  them  by  the  hill  of 
Moreh,  in  the  valley. 

2  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Gideon,  The  people  that  are 
with  thee  are  too  many  for  me 
to  give  the  Midianites  into  their 
hands,  lest  Israel  ^vaunt  them- 
selves  against  me,  saying,  Mine 
own  hand  hath  saved  me. 

b  Deut.  8.  17.     Is.  10.  13.    1  Cor.  1.  29.    2  Cor.  4.  7. 


herents  to  turn  back  from  that  place, 
as  related  v.  3,  where  this  very  word 
occurs,  T^ni  i^li  "n^a  whosoever  is 
fearful  and  afraid.  Nothing  is 
more  common  in  the  Scriptures  than 
for  persons  and  places  to  be  named 
from  memorable  events.  The  foun- 
tain was  situated  not  far  from  Gilboa, 
on  the  borders  of  Manasseh,  -  V 
Hill  of  Moreh.  Heb.  '  hill  of  the 
archer.'  Probably  an  eminence  in 
the  Gilboa  range  of  mountains,  and 
conjectured  to  be  so  called  from  the 
archers  that  there  wounded  Saul,  1 
Sam.  31.3.  ^\  In  the  valley.  The 
valley  of  Jezreel  or  Esdraelon,  of 
which  seech.  5.  21, 

2,  The  people — are  too  many. 
Though  the  whole  array  of  the  Isra- 
elites consisted  of  only  32,000,  while 
that  of  the  Midianites  amounted  to 
at  least  135,000,  or  four  to  one  to  the 
Israelites,  yet  the  Lord  deems  this 
small  number  entirely  too  large  for 
the  purposes  he  had  in  view,  and 
even  when  diminished  to  10,000,  or- 
ders a  still  farther  reduction,  The 
reason  of  this  command  is  given  in 
what  follows.  The  discharge  of  so 
large  a  number  of  volunteers  by  no 
means  implies  that  they  did  not  do 
right  in  willingly  offering  them- 
selves to  the  expedition ;  the  act  of 
enlisting  in  the  service  was  proper 
and  commendable,  but  God  saw  that 
the  spirit  by  which  they  were  actu- 
ated was  in  multitudes  of  them  de- 
fective, and  therefore  so  ordered  it 


263 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249. 


3  Now  therefore  go  to,  pro- 
claim  in  the  ears  of  the  people, 
saying,  '^Whosoever  is  fearful 
and  afraid,  let  him  return  and 
depart  early  from  mount  Gilead. 


that  they  should  be  put  to  the  test, 
while  at  the  same  time  he  secured  to 
his  own  great  name  the  entire  glory 
of  the  victory.  We  often  read  in 
the  sacred  narrative  of  God's  bring- 
ing about  great  events  by  few  agents, 
but  this  is  the  first  instance  in  which 
he  purposely  made  them  fewer. 
His  design  in  addition  to  what  has 
been  mentioned  above  doubtless  was, 
(1)  To  show  that  as  to  any  particu- 
lar instruments,  he  could,  in  effect- 
ing his  purposes,  easily  dispense 
with  them,  and  that  they  were  more 
indebted  to  him  for  employing  them, 
than  he  to  them  for  tendering  their 
services.  (2)  To  shame  and  humble 
his  people  for  their  past  cowardice  in 
tamely  submitting  to  the  yoke  of 
Midian.  By  the  result  of  this  enter- 
prise he  would  afford  them  convinc- 
ing proof  that  the  disproportion  of 
numbers  formed  no  apology  for  their 
remissness ;  that  if  they  had,  as  they 
ought  to  have  done,  made  sure  of  the 
favor  of  God,  one  of  them  might  have 
chased  a  thousand.  But  chief  of  all, 
his  purpose  is  to  silence  and  exclude 
boasting—'  lest  Israel  vaunt  them- 
selves against  me.'  '  How  jealous 
is  God  of  his  honor !  He  is  willing 
to  give  deliverance  to  Israel,  but  the 
praise  of  the  deliv^erance  he  will  keep 
to  himself;  and  will  shorten  the 
means,  that  he  may  have  the  mea- 
sure of  the  glory.'     Bp.  Hall. 

3.  Proclaim  in  the  cars  of  the  peo- 
ple, &c.  This  was  according  to  a 
standing  enactment  of  the  law,  Deut. 
20.  8,  the  design  of  which  Avas  to 
prevent  the  contagious  effects  of 
cowardice  or  '  faint-heartedness,'  in 
the  army.  The  punctilious  obser- 
vance of  this  precept  by  Judas  Mac- 
cabeus is  mentioned  1  "Mac.  3.  56,  a 
portion  of  ancient  history  which  un- 
fortunately is  apt  to  be  greatly  over- 
looked and  undervalued  in  conse- 


And  there  returned  of  the  peo- 
pie  twenty  and  two  thousand  ; 
and  there  remained  ten  thou- 
sand. 

4  And  the  Lord   said  unto 


quence  of  being  contained  in  the 
'  Apocrypha.'  These  writings, 
though  not  canonical,  are  intrinsi- 
cally of  very  great  value,  and  Chris- 
tians generally,  if  but  made  aware 
of  their  true  character  as  to  author- 
ity, would  prize  their  Bibles  none 
the  less  for  containing  them.  IT  De- 
part early  from  mount  Gilead.  A 
clause  of  very  difficult  solution  from 
the  fact,  that  mount  Gilead  was  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  Jordan, 
whereas  Gideon  was  now  on  the 
west,  not  far  from  mount  Gilboa,  and 
did  not  cross  the  Jordan  till  after  the 
victory.  Some  would  solve  the  diffi- 
culty by  supposing  that  there  was  a 
mountain  called  Gilead  on  the  west 
of  the  Jordan  as  well  as  on  the  east. 
But  as  there  is  no  evidence  of  this, 
the  hj^pothesis  merely  cuts  the  knot 
without  untying  it.  Others  again 
propose  a  new  reading  for  the  text, 
viz.  Gilboa  instead  of  Gilead.  But 
this  is  equally  gratuitous.  For  our 
own  part,  as  the  true  import  of  the 
Heb.  352:  rendered  depart  early  is 
left  by  the  lexicographers  entirely 
undetermined,  we  feel  disposed  to 
abide  by  the  rendering  of  the  Chal- 
dee,  '  Whosoever  is  fearful  and 
afraid,  let  him  return,  and  let  a  se- 
lection be  made  from  viount  Gilead,^ 
i.  e.  from  the  men  of  mount  Gilead, 
or  the  Abiezrites,  among  whom 
Gideon  dwelt,  and  upon  whom  he 
supposed  he  could  put  more  depend- 
ence. This  interpretation  would 
seem  to  be  strikingly  confirmed  by 
the  complaint  of  theEphraimites  in 
ch.  8.  1,  2,  on  which  see  notes.  ^ 
There  returned  of  the  people  ticenty 
and  tioo  thousand.  The  application 
of  a  rigid  test  is  apt  to  make  thinning 
work  in  the  ranks  of  God's  pro- 
fessed friends.  One  would  have 
thought  that  against  such  an  enemy 
as  Midian,  and  under  such  a  leader 


A.  C.  1249.] 


CHAPTER  VII. 


268 


Gideon,  The  people  are  yet  too 
many ;  bring  them  down  unto 
the  water,  and  I  will  try  them 
for  thee  there  ;  and  it  shall  be 
that  of  whom  I  say  unto  thee, 
This  shall  go  with  thee,  the 
same  shall  go  with  thee  ;  and  of 
whomsoever   I   say  unto   thee. 


as  Gideon,  no  Israelite  would  have 
owned  himself  fearful  and  proved 
recreant  to  his  duty.  Yet  two  parts 
out  of  three  turned  their  backs  upon 
their  country's  standard  when  they 
saw  the  numbers  and  the  strength  of 
the  enemy !  Alas,  if  it  should  be 
found  that  the  true  and  constant 
hearts  enlisted  under  the  banner  of 
Christ  bear  no  larger  proportion  than 
this  to  the  whole  number!  Who 
will  not  do  well  to  fear  and  tremble 
for  his  own  fidelity '?  '  Christianity 
requires  men.  David's  royal  band 
of  worthies  was  the  type  of  the  forces 
of  the  church,  all  valiant  men,  and 
able  to  encounter  with  thousands. 
Doth  but  a  foul  word,  or  a  frown, 
scare  thee  from  Christ '?  Doth  the 
loss  of  a  little  land  or  silver  disquiet 
thee '?  Doth  but  the  sight  of  the  Mid- 
ianites  in  the  valley  strike  thee'? 
Home  then,  home  to  the  world; 
thou  art  not  for  the  conquering  band 
of  Christ.  If  thou  canst  not  resolve 
to  follow  him  through  infamy,  pri- 
sons, racks,  gibbets,  flames,  depart  to 
thine  house,  and  save  thy  life  to  thy 
loss.'    Bp.  Hall. 

4.  The  people  are  yet  too  many.  It 
is  hardly  possible  to  conceive  a  se- 
verer trial  of  faith  than  that  to  which 
Gideon's  was  now  subjected.  While 
he  doubtless  thought  his  men  too  feio, 
God  saw  that  they  were  too  many, 
and  ordered  a  still  farther  reduction ! 
'  This  may  help  us  to  understand 
those  providences  which  sometimes 
seem  to  weaken  the  church  and  its 
interests— its  friends  are  too  many, 
too  mighty,  too  wise,  for  God  to 
work  deliverance  by  ;  God  is  taking 
a  course  to  lessen  them,  that  he  may 
be  exalted  in  his  own  strength.' 
Henry,        IT  I  will  try  them.    Will 


This  shall  not  go  with  thee,  the 
same  shall  not  go. 

5  So  he  brought  down  the 
people  unto  the  water  :  and  the 
Lord  said  unto  Gideon  ;  Every 
one  that  lappeth  of  the  water 
with  his  tongue  as  a  dog  lappeth, 
him  shalt  thou  set  by  himself; 


put  them  to  the  proof;  or,  Heb. '  will 
separate,  will  purify,'  the  word  usu- 
ally applied  to  the  assaying  or  re- 
fining of  metals.  Is.  48.  10.  Mai.  3. 
2,  3.  IT  For  thee.  God  himself 
knew  perfectly  beforehand  who 
would  stand  the  test  and  who  would 
not,  but  for  the  satisfaction  of  Gid- 
eon, he  would  have  the  trial  made  in 
an  open  and  convincing  manner. 
U  Of  whom  I  say  unto  thee,  This  shall 
go,  &c.  That  is,  whom  I  shall  in- 
dicate by  the  result  of  the  experi- 
ment, not  in  express  words.  We 
have  before  remarked  of  the  word 
'  say,'  when  applied  both  to  God  and 
men,  that  it  by  no  means  necessari- 
ly implies  verbal  communication,  but 
often  simply  the  mental  p^irpose  of 
the  speaker.  Probably  a  better  ren- 
dering throughout  the  clause  would 
be — *  loill go,' '  willnot  go,'  &c.  mak- 
ing the  sense  rather  that  of  3.predic- 
tion,  than  of  a  command.  In  the 
first  instance,  the  timorous  were  sep- 
arated by  public  proclamation;  in 
the  present,  the  same  effect  was  to  be 
produced  by  a  private  signal,  under- 
stood only  by  God  and  his  servant 
Gideon.  Multitudes  had  remained 
rather  than  to  incur  the  imputation 
of  cowardice,  whom  the  Most  High 
still  saw  to  be  cravens  at  heart. 

5.  Every  one  that  lappeth — as  a 
dog,  &c.  The  two  modes  of  drink- 
ing here  described  have  been  differ- 
ently understood,  and  the  first,  in 
particular,  has  been  the  subject  of 
various  interpretations.  The  dog 
drinks  by  shaping  the  end  of  his  long 
thin  tongue  into  the  form  of  a  spoon, 
which  it  plies  rapidly  to  and  from 
the  water,  throwing  each  time  a 
spoonful  of  the  fluid  into  its  mouth. 
The  human  tongue  is  not  adapted  to 


264 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249, 


likewise  every  one  that  boweth 
down  upon  his  knees  to  drink. 

6  And  the  number  of  them 
that  lapped,  putting  their  hand 
to  their  mouth,  were  three  hun- 
dred men  :  but  all  the  rest  of  the 
people  bowed  down  upon  their 
knees  to  drink  water. 

7  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Gideon,  ''By  the  three  hundred 
men  that  lapped  will  I  save  you, 

|d  1  Sam.  14.  6. 


this  use  ;  and  it  is  physically  impos- 
sible, therefore,  for  a  man  to  lap  lit- 
erally as  a  dog  laps.  The  true  ex- 
planation undoubtedly  is,  that  these 
men  instead  of  kneeling  down  to 
take  a  long  draught,  or  successive 
draughts,  from  the  water,  employed 
their  hand  as  the  dog  employs  his 
tongue,— that  is,  forming  it  into  a 
hollow  spoon,  and  dipping  water 
with  it  from  the  stream.  This  mode 
of  drinking  is  often  practised  in  the 
East,  and  practice  alone  can  give 
that  peculiar  tact  to  it  which  gener- 
ally excites  the  wonder  of  travellers. 
The  interchange  of  the  hand  be- 
tween the  water  and  the  mouth  is 
managed  with  amazing  dexterity 
and  with  nearly  or  quite  as  much 
rapidity  as  the  tongue  of  the  dog  in 
the  same  act.  The  water  is  not 
sucked  out  of  the  hand,  but  by  a  pe- 
culiar jerk,  is  thrown  into  the  mouth 
before  the  hand  is  brought  close  to  it, 
so  that  the  hand  is  approaching  with 
a  fresh  supply  almost  before  the  pre- 
ceding has  been  swallowed  ;  which 
constitutes  another  resemblance  to 
the  action  of  the  dog's  tongue.  In 
travelling  when  one  comes  to  water 
and  wishes  to  drink,  he  cannot  well 
stop  the  whole  party  to  wait  for  him ; 
and,  therefore,  if  on  foot,  any  delay 
would  oblige  him  to  unusual  exer- 
tion in  order  to  overtake  his  party. 
Therefore  he  drinks  in  the  manner 
above  described,  and  satisfies  his 
thirst,  in  much  shorter  time  than 
would  one  who  should  kneel  or  lie 
clown  for  the  purpose  and  indulge 


and  deliver  the  Midianites  into 
thy  hand  :  and  let  all  the  other 
people  go  every  man  unto  his 
place. 

8  So  the  people  took  victuals 
in  their  hand,  and  their  trum- 
pets :  and  he  sent  all  tlie  rest  of 
Israel  every  man  unto  his  tent, 
and  retained  those  three  hundred 
men.  And  the  host  of  Midian 
was  beneath  him  in  the  valley. 


himself  in  a  more  leisurely  draught. 
This  consumes  so  much  time  that 
few,  but  those  who  are  mounted,  in- 
dulge in  it,  as  they  can  ride  on  be- 
fore and  satisfy  themselves  by  the 
time  their  party  comes  up;  or  if  be- 
hind, can  easily  overtake  them. 
This  explanation  will  serve  to  show 
how  the  distinction  operated,  and 
why  those  who  '  lapped,  putting  their 
hand  to  their  mouth,'  were  consider- 
ed to  evince  an  alacrity  and  readi- 
ness for  action  which  peculiarly 
fitted  them  for  the  service  in  which 
Gideon  was  engaged. — It  may  be  ob- 
served that  the  original  word  for 
lappeth  (p^'^  yalok)  is  precisely  the 
sound  which  a  dog  makes  in  drink- 
ing. 

6.  T%at  lapped,  putting  their  hand 
to  their  mouth.  Heb.  'that  lapped, 
with  their  hand,  towards  their 
mouth.'  ^Him  shall  thou  set  by 
himself.  Heb.  315:^.  As  this  is  the 
same  word  with  that  employed  ch. 
7.  37,  to  signify  the  putting  by  itself 
of  the  fleece,  it  would  seem  that  that 
miracle  had  a  designed  though  latent 
reference  to  the  two  classes  of  men 
here  distinguished^  of  whom  the 
one  saturated  themselves  with  water, 
while  the  other,  through  a  commend- 
able hardihood  and  self-denial,  left 
themselv^es  comparatively  dry.  The 
reader,  however,  will  exercise  his 
OA^Ti  judgment  as  to  recognizing  any 
such  allusion. 

7.  Will  I  save  you.  You,  the  na^ 
tion  ;  the  word  being  in  the  plural. 

8.  So  the  people  took  victuals,  &c. 


A.  C.  1249.] 


CHAPTER  VII. 


265 


9  IT  And  it  came  to  pass  the 
same  «night,  that  the  Lord  said 
unto  him,  Arise,  get  thee  down 
unto  the  host ;  for  I  have  dehv- 
ered  it  into  thy  hand. 

10  But  if  thou  fear  to  go 
down,  go  thou  with  Phurah  thy 
servant  down  to  the  host : 

11  And  thou  shalt  ^hear  what 
they  say ;  and  afterward  shall 
thy  hands  be  strengthened  to  go 
down  unto  the  host.     Then  weut 

e  Gen.  ■16.  2.  3.        f  v.  13,  14,  15.      See  Gen.  24.  14. 
1  Sam.  14.  9, 10. 


That  is,  the  three  hundred  who  lap- 
ped. They  took  the  necessary  quan- 
tity of  victuals  for  the  day's  con- 
sumption, while  the  others  were  dis- 
missed to  their  tents,  i.  e.  to  go 
where  they  pleased.  It  is  highly 
probable,  however,  that  many  of 
them  remained  within  hearing, 
though  at  a  safe  distance,  and  fallow- 
ed up  the  blow  after  the  assault  had 
been  made  and  the  route  commenced 
by  the  select  band.  Those  who 
shun  the  conflict  are  often  forward 
to  share  the  victory.  M  And  re- 
tained. Besides  the  sense  of '  retain- 
ing,' the  Heb.  implies  that  he  clung 
to  them  with  strong  affection  and 
confidence.  IT  The  host  of  Midian 
was  beneath  him  in  the  valleij.  In  the 
valley  of  Jezreel.  This  circum- 
stance should  be  particularly  noted 
in  connection  with  the  dream  men- 
tioned below. 

9.  And  it  came  to  pass  the  same 
night,  &c.  It  should  seem  that  the 
previous  reduction  of  his  numbers 
had  filled  Gideon  with  some  secret 
misgivings.  God  therefore  gra- 
ciously offered  him  a  farther  sign, 
whereby  his  faith  should  be  con- 
firmed, and  his  fear  altogether  dis- 
pelled. This  was  a  sign  that  should 
be  given  him  by  the  enemy  them- 
selves. He  was  to  go  down  with 
his  servant,  to  the  enemy's  camp, 
and  hear  what  they  themselves  said. 
The  result  perfectly  satisfied  the 
mind  of  Gideon ;  he  had  no  doubt 
23* 


he  down  with  Phurah  his  ser- 
vant  unto  the  outside  of  the 
armed  men  that  were  in  the 
host. 

12  And  the  Midianites,  and 
the  Amalekites,  ^and  all  the 
children  of  the  east,  lay  along  in 
the  valley  like  grasshoppers  for 
multitude ;  and  their  camels 
were  without  number,  as  the 
sand  by  the  sea-side  for  multi- 
tude. 

gch.6.  5,  33.  &  8.  10. 


now  but  that  God  would  fulfil  his 
promise ;  and  in  full  assurance  of 
faith  he  instantly  arranged  every 
thing  for  the  encounter,  H  Ihave 
delivered  it  into  thine  hand.  It  is  as 
certain  as  if  it  were  already  done. 

10.  Go  thou  vnth  Phurah  thy  ser- 
vant. Heb.  '  thy  young  man.'  His 
being  accompanied  by  his  servant 
would  not  only  tend  to  diminish  his 
own  fears,  but  their  united  testimony, 
as  to  what  they  shoud  hear,  would 
confirm  the  statements  made  to  the 
people  on  their  return. 

11.  Thine  hands  be  strengthened. 
Thou  shalt  be  encouraged,  embold- 
ened. God,  who  both  inspired  the 
dream  and  directed  Gideon's  steps  to 
the  spot  where  he  might  hear  it  re- 
lated, knew  perfectly  well  the  effect 
it  would  have  upon  his  mind,  which 
he  expressly  foretells.  U  Unto  the 
outside  of  the  armed  men.  Heb.  '  to 
the  outerrao.st  of  the  ranks  by  five.' 
Of  this  phrase  see  note  on  Ex.  13.  18. 
Josh.  1.  14. 

13.  Lay  along.  Heb. '  were  lying 
fallen;'  i.  e.  lying  prostrate  and 
fallen  asleep.  It  does  not  refer 
merely  to  the  position  they  had  cho- 
sen for  their  encampment,  but  to  the 
bodily  posture  they  were  actually  in 
at  this  time.  The  same  phrase  oc- 
curs in  the  same  sense  in  the  next 
verse,  where  mention  is  made  of  the 
prostration  of  the  Midianites'  tents, 
IT  Like  grasshoppers.  Rather,  '  like 
locusts;'  as  also  ch.  6.  5,        ^  And 


266 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249. 


13  And  when  Gideon  was 
come,  behold,  there  was  a  man 
that  told  a  dream  unto  his  fellow, 
and  said,  Behold,  I  dreamed  a 
dream,  and  lo,  a  cake  of  barley- 
bread  tumbled  into  the  host  of 
Midian,  and  came  unto  a  tent 
and  smote  it  that  it  fell,  and  over- 
turned it  that  the  tent  lay  along. 

14  And  his  fellow  answered, 

their  camels.  That  these  nations, 
especially  Midian,  abounded  in 
camels,  see  Is.  60.  6. 

13.  A  cake  of  barley-bread  tumbled, 
&c.  To  understand  this,  it  is  ne- 
cessary to  revert  to  the  circumstance 
before  mentioned,  v.  8,  viz.  that  Gid- 
eon's forces  were  stationed  on  the 
hill  of  Moreh,  while  the  Midianites 
had  pitched  IdbIow  in  the  valley. 
The  barley-cake  which  the  man  saw 
in  his  dream,  doubtless  seemed  to 
roll  down  the  hill  into  the  valley, 
overturning  the  tent  or  tents  with 
which  it  came  in  contact.  This 
naturally  enough  connected  it  with 
Gideon,  while  the  apparent  inade- 
quacy of  the  cause  to  produce  this 
effect  would  strike  the  most  casual 
observer.  If  it  had  been  a  great 
stone,  the  overturning  of  tents  in  its 
progress  would  have  occasioned  no 
wonder;  but  that  such  an  effect 
should  be  produced  by  a  barley-cake, 
seemed  as  little  likely  in  human  pro- 
bability as  that  Gideon  with  his  little 
band  should  overthrow  the  vast  host 
of  Midian.  That  it  was  not  only  a 
cake,  but  a  barley -tske,  seems  a  cir- 
cumstance designed  to  show  more 
strongly  the  insignificance  of  the 
cause.  The  use  of  barley  was  grad- 
ually superseded  by  that  of  wheat, 
and  barley-bread  became  the  food 
only  of  the  lower  orders,  of  convicts, 
and  of  beasts.  It  was  therefore  nat- 
urally associated  with  the  ideas  of 
dishonor  and  insignificance.  IT 
Came  unto  a  tent  and  smote  it,  &c, 
Another  instance,  as  we  understand 
it,  of  the  Heb.  usage  by  which  the 
collect,  sing,  is  employed  for  the 


and  said,  This  is  nothing  else 
save  the  sword  of  Gideon  the 
son  of  Joash,  a  man  of  Israel  : 
for  into  his  hand  hath  God  de- 
livered Midian,  and  all  the  host. 
15  IF  And  it  was  so,  when 
Gideon  heard  the  telling  of  the 
dream,  and  the  interpretation 
thereof,  that  he  worshipped,  and 
returned  into  the  host  of  Israel, 


plural.  It  was  not  a  single  tent  that 
was  smitten  by  the  rolling  cake,  and 
overthrown,  but  it  came  among  them, 
like  a  ball  among  nine-pins,  pros- 
trating every  thing  in  its  course. 

14.  This  is  notliing  else  save  the 
sicord  of  Gideon.  That  is,  this  means 
nothing  else  than  the  sword,  the  vic- 
torious charge  and  onset,  of  Gideon. 
The  interpretation  as  well  as  the 
dream  were  doubtless  both  of  divine 
suggestion.  '  A  wise  providence 
hath  prepared  a  dream  in  the  head 
of  one  Midianite,  an  interpretation 
in  the  mouth  of  another,  and  hath 
brought;  Gideon  to  be  an  auditor  of 
both ;  and  hath  made  his  enemies 
prophets  of  his  victory,  encouragers 
of  the  attempt,  proclaimers  of  their 
own  confusion !'  Bp.  Hall.  H  De- 
livered Midian  and  all  the  host.  Or, 
Heb.  '  delivered  Midian,  even  all  the 
host.' 

15.  The  interpretation  thereof. 
Heb.  'the  breaking  thereof;'  inas- 
much as  the  solution  or  explication 
of  any  thing  obscure  and  difiicult  is 
like  breaking  the  shell  of  a  nut  and 
getting  at  the  kernel  within.  T 
He  worshipped.  Bowed  himself  in 
a  posture  of  reverence  and  adora- 
tion, and  gratefully  gave  thanks  to 
God  for  the  encouragement  he  had 
now  been  permitted  to  hear  from  a 
source  of  which  he  little  thought. 
'  To  hear  himself  called  but  a  barley- 
cake  troubled  him  not,  when  he 
heard  withall  that  his  rolling  down 
the  hill  should  break  the  tents  of 
Midian.  It  matters  not  how  base  we 
be  thought,  so  we  may  be  victorious: 
the  soul  that  hath  received  full  con- 


A.  C.  1249.] 


CHAPTER  VII. 


267 


and  said,  Arise  ;  for  the  Lord 
hath  deUvered  into  your  hand 
the  host  of  Midian. 

16  And  he  divided  the  three 
hundred  men  into  three  compa- 
nies, and  he  put  a  trumpet  in 
every  man's  hand,  with  empty 
pitchers,  and  lamps  within  the 
pitchers. 

17  And  he  said  unto  them. 
Look  on  me,  and  do  likewise  : 
and  behold,  when  I  come  to  the 
outside  of  the  camp,  it  shall  be 
that  as  I  do,  so  shall  ye  do. 

18  When  I  blow  with  a  trum- 


firmation  of  God  in  the  assurance  of 
his  salvation,  cannot  but  bow  the 
knee,  and  by  gestures  of  body  tell 
how  it  is  ravished.'     Bp.  Hall. 

16.  Into  three  companies.  Heb. 
*  into  three  heads;'  i.  e.  three  grand 
divisions.  So  it  is  said  of  the  rivers 
of  Eden,  Gen.  2.  10,  that  they  were 
parted  and  became  into  four  heads,' 
i.  e.  four  principal  or  distinguished 
streams.  See  note  in  loc.  The  de- 
sign of  dividing  them  in  this  man- 
ner was  that  they  might  appear  to 
surround  the  enemy's  camp  more 
entirely,  leading  them  to  think  that 
they  were  environed  on  every  side 
by  a  great  army.  IT  Put  a  trum- 
pet in  every  man's  hand.  Heb. '  gave 
trumpets  into  the  hand  of  all  of  them.' 
^  Empty  pitchers.  Made  of  earthen 
ware,  so  as  to  be  easily  broken. 
They  were  designed  to  conceal 
the  lights  till  the  proper  time.  TT 
Lamps  unthin  the  pitchers.  Or, 
Heb.  '  torches,  flambeaux.'  Instead 
of  lamps  furnished  with  wicks  and 
fed  with  oil,  we  are  probably  to  un- 
derstand, torches  made  of  pitchy  or 
resinous  billets  of  wood,  the  flame 
of  which  was  stronger  and  not  so 
liable  to  be  extinguished  by  the 
wind. 

17.  Look  on  me.  Heb.  '  see  from 
me ;'  i.  e.  see  from  me.  from  my  ex- 
ample, what  to  do  yourselves,  and 
when  to  do  it.    It  is  probable  that  he 


pet,  I  and  all  that  are  with  me, 
then  blow  ye  the  trumpets  also 
on  every  side  of  all  the  camp, 
and  say,  The  sword  of  the  Lord, 
and  of  Gideon. 

19  IT  So  Gideon  and  the  hun- 
dred men  that  were  with  him, 
came  unto  the  outside  of  the 
camp  in  the  beginning  of  the 
middle  watch  ;  and  they  had  but 
newly  set  the  watch  :  and  they 
blew  the  trumpets,  and  brake  the 
pitchers  that  were  in  their  hands. 

20  And  the  three  companies 
blew  the  trumpets,   and   brake 


now  unfolded  to  them  minutely 
every  step  of  the  stratagem,  so  that 
they  "could  all  act  in  concert  when  the 
signal  was  given,  as  otherwise  the 
strangeness  of  the  scheme,  the  dark- 
ness of  the  night,  and  the  distance  of 
the  men  from  each  other,  would  have 
been  apt  to  render  the  whole  abortive. 
In  these  words  he  is  merely  agreeing 
upon  the  signal. 

18.  The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of 
Gideon.  Heb.  '  for  the  Lord  and  for 
Gideon.'  The  original  for  '  sword' 
(Din  herch)  is  not  found  in  this 
verse,  though  it  is  necessarily  im- 
plied, and  occurs  in  the  parallel  pas- 
sage V.  20.  It  is  inserted,  however, 
in  this  place  in  the  Chald.  Syr.  and 
Arab. ;  and  in  eight  of  Kennicott's 
and  De  Rossi's  manuscripts ;  and  is 
probably  a  genuine  reading.  This 
war-cry  was  taken  from  the  inter- 
pretation of  the  dream,  to  which 
Gideon,  with  his  usual  modesty  and 
in  recognition  of  his  dependence  on 
divine  succor,  prefixed  the  name  of 
the  Lord — '  The  sword  of  the  Lord 
and  of  Gideon.' 

19.  In  the  beginning  of  the  middle 
watch.  A  little  after  midnight;  for 
the  Hebrews  divided  the  night  into 
three  watches.  At  this  time  they 
would  naturally  be  sunk  in  their 
profoundest  slumbers,  and  of  course 
be  thrown  into  the  utmost  confusion 
on  being  suddenly  awakened. 


268 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249. 


the  pitchers,  and  held  the  lamps 
in  their  left  hands,  and  the  trum- 
pets in  their  right  hands  to  blow 
withall:  and  they  cried,  The 
sword  of  the  Lord,  and  of  Gid- 
eon. 

21  And  they  ^stood  every 
man  in  his  place  round  about 
the  camp  ;  'and  all  the  host  ran, 
and  cried,  and  fled. 

22  And  the  three  hundred 
kblew   the   trumpets,   and     'the 

hEx.  14.13,  14.  2Chr.2U.  17.  i  2  Kings  7.  7. 
k  Josli.  6.  4,  16,  20.  See2Gor.  4.  7.  1  Ps.  83.  y. 
Is.  9.  4. 


20.  The  three  companies  bleio  the 
trumpets,  and  brake  the  pitchers,  &c. 
Every  man  probably  dashing  his 
pitcher  against  that  of  his  comrade 
who  stood  next  him.  The  effect  of 
this,  with  the  intermingled  sound  of 
the  trumpets  and  the  shouts  of  the 
assailants  reverberating  on  every 
side  of  the  camp,  together  with  the 
sudden  glare  of  three  hundred  torch- 
es blazing  on  the  scarcely-opened 
eyes  of  the  Midianites,  must  indeed 
have  been  astounding.  As  the  en- 
emy could  not  imagine  that  every 
Israelite  had  a  trumpet  and  a  light, 
the  noise  of  so  many  trumpets,  the 
blaze  of  so  many  lights,  with  the 
crash  of  the  broken  pitchers  from  dif- 
ferent quarters,  must  have  conveyed 
to  their  minds  the  most  exaggerated 
ideas  of  the  numbers  by  which  they 
were  beset.  Gideon's  army  would 
have  been  great  indeed  if,  as  the 
Midianites  must  have  supposed,  the 
number  of  the  fighting  men  had  been 
in  proportion  to  that  of  the  trumpe- 
ters. It  was  mainly  in  consequence 
of  this  erroneous  impression  that  the 
stratagem  succeeded  as  it  did. 

21.  Stood  every  man  in  his  place. 
Thus  the  host  of  Midian  was  dis- 
comfited without  the  Israelites' 
striking  a  blow.  They  stood  unmov- 
ed in  their  places  blowing  their 
trumpets  and  holding  their  torches, 
as  if  to  encourage  and  give  light  to 
countless  numbers  of  fighting  men 
behind,  while  in  fact  they  afforded 


Lord  set  "^ every  man's  sword 
against  his  fellow,  even  through- 
out all  the  host :  and  the  host 
fled  to  Beth-shittah  in  Zererath, 
and  to  the  border  of  Abel-meho- 
lah,  unto  Tabbath. 

23  And  the  men  of  Israel 
gathered  themselves  together 
out  of  Naphtali,  and  out  of 
Asher,  and  out  of  all  Manasseh, 
and  pursued  after  the  Midian- 
ites. 

mlSam.  11.20.        2  Chr.  20.  23. 


light  to  the  Midianites  to  slay  each 
other,  though  not  enough  to  enable 
them  to  distinguish  friend  from  foe. 
IT  All  the  host  ran,  Slc.  That  is,  ran 
about  the  camp,  hither  and  thither, 
in  wild  confusion,  pursuing  and  pur- 
sued by  their  own  men.  The  '  run- 
ning' was  thus  distinguished  from 
the  '  fleeing,'  which  was  nothing  else 
than  the  attempt  to  escape  from  the 
place  of  their  encampment.  The 
panic  was  no  doubt  greatly  increased 
by  the  alarm  and  fright  of  their  nu- 
merous camels.  IT  Fled  to  Beth- 
shittah,  &c.  The  names  of  these 
places  occur  not  elsewhere  in  the 
Scriptures,  except  that  of  Abel-Me- 
holah,  which  was  in  the  half-tribe  of 
Manasseh  on  this  side  Jordan.  As 
the  Midianites  would  naturally  strike 
towards  the  Jordan  to  cross  over  into 
their  own  country,  the  other  places 
here  mentioned  \vere  doubtless  in 
that  direction  from  the  plain  of  Jez- 
reel. 

23.  The  men  of  Israel  gathered 
themselves  together  out  of  Naphtali, 
&c.  Including  probably  numbers  of 
the  two  and  tw'enty  thousand  who 
had  previously  withdrawn  them- 
selves, or  been  dismissed  by  Gideon 
as  lacking  the  requisite  degree  of 
hardihood  and  courage  for  the  im- 
pending conflict.  Now,  however, 
when  bolder  spirits  had  made  the 
onset  and  put  the  enemy  to  flight, 
they  are  ready  to  join  in  the  pursuit. 
But  though  their  timidity  in  the  for- 


A.  C.  1249.] 


CHAPTER  VII. 


24  IT  And  Gideon  sent  mes- 
sengers  throughout  all  ""mount 
Ephraim,  saying,  Come  down 
against  the  Midianites,  and  take 
before  them  the  waters  unto 
Beth-barah  and  Jordan.  Then 
all  the  men  of  Ephraim  gather- 
ed     themselves     together,    and 


mer  instance  was  not  to  their  credit, 
we  do  not  know  that  their  neutrality 
on  this  occasion  would  have  been 
guiltless.  It  was  probably  their  duty 
to  come  forward  to  the  aid  of  their 
brethren  and  help  them  to  a  complete 
victory. 

24.  Take  before  them  the  waters. 
Take  possession  of  the  fords  of  what- 
ever streams  may  lie  in  their  route, 
but  more  especially  of  the  fords  of 
the  Jordan,  to  prevent  their  escaping 
into  their  own  country.  The  '  wa- 
ters' and  the  '  Jordan'  are  expressly 
distinguished,  nor  can  they  properly 
be  considered  the  same,  as  is  done 
by  many  commentators.  The  copu- 
lative '  and'  may  be  regarded  here, 
as  often  elsewhere  in  the  Scriptures, 
as  a  particle  of  distinction  ;— '  ocup- 
py  all  the  fords  that  lie  in  the  way 
till  they  come  to  Beth-barah,  but 
aJ)ove  all  those  of  the  Jordan ;'  or 
with  RosenmuUer,  we  may  render, 
'  Unto  Beth-barah,  even  Jordan.' 
The  same  precaution  was  taken  be- 
fore in  the  case  of  the  Moabites,  ch.  3. 
28,  and  was  the  usual  practice  when 
the  enemy  belonged  to  the  country 
east  of  the  river.  The  Beth-barah 
here  spoken  of  is  probably  the  same 
with  that  mentioned  John  1.  28, 
where  the  Hebrews  forded  Jordan 
under  the  direction  of  Joshua. 

25.  Sleio  Oreb  upon  the  rock  Orcb, 
Sec.  These  two  Midianitish  leaders 
had  taken  shelter,  one  in  the  cavern 
of  a  rock,  the  other  in  the  vat  of  a 
wine-press;  both  of  which  places 
were  afterwards,  from  this  circum- 
stance, called  by  their  names;  of 
which  Oreb  signifies  a  raven,  and 
Zeeb,  a  wolf.  Among  ancient  na- 
tions, generals  and  princes   often 


nook  the  waters  unto  I'Beth-ba- 
rah  and  Jordan. 

25  And  they  took  nwo  prin- 
ces of  the  Midianites,  Oreb  and 
Zeeb  ;  and  they  slew  Oreb  upon 
nhe  rock  Oreb,  and  Zeeb  they 
slew  at  the  wine-press  of  Zeeb, 
and  pursued  iVlidian,  and  brought 


o  ch.  3.  2S.       p  Joliii  1. 
r  Is.  10.  26. 


28.      q  ch.  8.  3.    Ps.  83.  U. 


took  the  names  of  birds  and  beasts. 
Thus,  among  the  Romans,  we  find 
Gracchus,  a  jackdaio,  Corvinus,  a 
crovj,  Aquilinus,  an  eagle,  &.c.  IT 
And  pursued  Midian.  Rather,  Heb. 
'  pursued  unto  Midian,'  i.  e.  to  the 
country  of  Midian,  to  their  own  bor- 
ders on  the  other  side  of  the  Jordan. 
And  if  they  crossed  the  river  in  the 
pursuit,  why  should  they  not  have 
followed  them  to  their  own  territo- 
ries, which  lay  near  to  the  Jordan  % 
'^Brought  the  heads  of  Oreb  and  Zeeb 
to  Gideon.  It  was  anciently,  and  is 
still  an  almost  universal  custom  with 
eastern  nations  to  take  oflf  the  heads 
of  opposing  chiefs  and  bring  them, 
to  the  victorious  general.  It  is  a 
sort  of  trophy,  and  has  been  regard- 
ed as  such,  at  one  time  or  other,  in 
nearly  all  nations.  David  cut  oft 
the  head  of  Goliath,  probably  intend- 
ing to  bring  it  to  Saul ;  and  the  head 
of  Saul  himself  was  cut  off  by  the 
Philistines,  and  sent  by  them  to  "their 
own  country.  At  present  the  heads 
of  conquered  chiefs  and  commanders 
are  transmitted  to  Constantinople 
from  the  most  distant  parts  of  the 
Turkish  empire,  to  be  laid  at  the 
feet  of  the  Sultan,  and  then  to  deco- 
rate his  palace  gates.  It  is,  how- 
ever, to  be  presumed  that  the  senti-^ 
ments  of  a  more  refined  civilization,, 
and  the  silently  meliorating  influen- 
ces of  Christianity  will  ere  long  ban- 
ish all  traces  of  such  atrocious  bar- 
barity from  the  earth.  From  the  fore=. 
going  interesting  narrative  respec- 
ting Gideon  and  his  wonderful  de= 
liverance,  we  may  learn,  (1)  To  un- 
dertake nothing  in  our  own  strength. 
(2)  To  draw  back  from  nothing  to 
which  we  are  caikd.    (3)  To  doubt 


270 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249. 


the  heads  of  Oreb  and  Zeeb  to 
Gideon  on  the  «other  side  Jor- 
dan. 


of  nothing  wherein  God  promises 
his  aid.  (4)  To  take  the  glory  of 
nothing  which  God  does  by  us, 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

1.  And  the  men  of  Ephr aim.  Heb, 
*  and  the  man,  or  manhood,  of  Ephra- 
im;'  i,  e.  the  leading  men,  the  eld- 
ers. See  on  Josh.  9.  6.  This  com- 
plaint was  probably  uttered  when  the 
heads  of  the  two  slain  princes  of  Mi- 
dian  were  brought  to  Gideon,  but 
whether  this  was  before  or  after  his 
crossing  the  Jordan,  it  is  not  easy 
to  say.    It  is  not  determined  bythe 


expression 


on  the  other  side  Jor- 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  ND  ^the  men  of  Ephraim 
said  unto  him,    Why   hast 

a  Seech.  V2.  I.        2  Sam.  19.  41. 


dan,'  ch.  7.  25,  for  this  phrase  in  the 
original  ("inT^b  nn3>72)  signifies 
either  ^Ais  side  or  that,  2iS  the  case 
may  be.  The  probability,  however, 
we  think  is  that  our  translation  has 
correctly  rendered  it '  from  the  other 
side,'  and  that  Gideon  had  now 
passed  the  Jordan,  but  that  the  inci- 
dent here  related  comes  in  somewhat 
by  anticipation,  in  order  that  what 
relates  to  the  Ephraimites  might  be 
finished  without  hereafter  interrupt- 
ing the  thread  of  the  narrative.  The 
interview  here  mentioned,  we  sup- 
pose to  have  taken  place  after  Gide- 
on's return  from  the  pursuit  of  the 
Midianites,  v.  4.  ^  Why  hast  thou 
served  us  thus.  Heb.  '  what  thing  is 
this  thou  hast  done  unto  us  V  V 
And  thou  called st  us  not.,  &c.  Rather, 
*  that  thou  calledst  us  not.'  Although 
the  victory  of  Gideon,  by  freeing 
them  from  the  tyranny  of  Midian, 
had  been  of  equal  advaiitage  to  them 
with  the  rest  of  their  brethren,  yet 
from  not  having  been  sharers  in  the 
glory  of  it,  this  tribe  was  ill-affected 
in  view  of  the  result.  The  pique 
which  is  here  expressed  seems  to 
have  originated  in  a  prior  state  of 
jealous  feeling,  existing  on  the  part 
of  Ephraim  towards  Manasseh. 
Ephraim  was  brother  to  Manasseh, 
.the  tribe  from  which  Gideon  sprung, 


and,  probabh',  priding    themselves 
on  the  pre-eminence  assigned  them 
in  the  blessing  of  Jacob  and  Moses, 
on  the  descent  of  Joshua  from  their 
tribe,  on  their  having  the  tabernacle 
fixed  in  their  inheritance,  and  on 
their  superior  numbers,  they  seem 
to  have  indulged  a  very  bitter  spirit 
of  rivalry  towards  their  brethren. 
Hence  the  allusion  elsewhere^  Is.  9. 
21,  to  the  envy  and  mutual  disafiec- 
tion  of  these  two  tribes.    In  the  pre- 
sent instance,  their  complaiDt  was 
evidently  unjust,  as  Gideon  had  acted 
throughout  under  divine  direction, 
instead  of  ordering  the  services,  of 
the  tribes,  at    his    own   discretion. 
Moreover,  if  so  disposed,  they  had 
the  amplest  opportunities  to  signalize 
themselves  in  behalf  of  the  common, 
interest.     They  knew  their  country 
was  suffering  under  foreign  oppres- 
sion, and  that  forces  were  raising 
with  a  view  to  resist  it  and  shake  off 
the  yoke.      What  then    prevented 
them  from  nobly  coming  forward 
and  volunteering  in  the  enterprise  1 
But  such  is  the  perverse  tempera- 
ment of  some  men,  that  under  the 
influence  of  a  morbid  and  envious 
spirit,  they  construe  every  exaltation 
of  their  neighbor,  as  an  injury  done 
to  themselves ;  and  nothing  is  more 
common  than  for  those  who  will  not 
attempt  or  venture  any  thing  in  the 
cause  of  God,  to  be  ready  to  censure 
those  who  show  more  zeal  and  enter- 
prise than  themselves.    How  often 
too,  when  the  danger  is  past,  does 
the  coward  vaunt  his  courage  1  The 
conduct  of  the  Ephraimites  on  this, 
and  another  occasion  very  similar, 
which  resulted  in  the  slaughter  of 
two  andjforty  thousand  of  their  num- 
ber, ch.  12.  1—7,  evinces  that  they 
were  a  people  of  rash,  hasty,  and 
impetuous  spirit,  and  the  incidents 
mentioned  afford  a  striking  illustra- 
tion of  two  emphatic  declarations  of 
Scripture.  (1.)  That, '  only  by  pride 


A.  C.  1249.] 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


271 


thou  served  us  thus,  that  thou 
calledst  us  not  when  thou  went- 
est  to  fight  with  the  Midianites  ? 
and  they  did  chide  with  him 
sharply. 

2  And    he   said   unto    them, 


Cometh  contention ;'  and,  (2.)  That, 
'  for  every  right  work  a  man  is  en- 
vied of  his  neighbor.'  ^i  Did  chide 
with  him  sharply.  Heb.  '  strongly, 
with  vehemence".' 

2.  7s  not  the  gleaning  of  the  grapes 
of  Ephr aim  better^  &.C.  A  metapho- 
rical and  proverbial  mode  of  com- 
mending the  smallest  action  of  one 
as  superior  to  the  greatest  of  an- 
other ;  or  of  saying  that  the  Ephraim- 
ites,  by  intercepting  the  enemy  at 
the  fords  of  Jordan,  and  slaying  the 
two  princes  of  the  Midianites,  had 
achieved  more  than  Gideon  and  his 
army.  The  answer  was  admirably 
adapted  to  sooth  the  exasperated 
spirits  of  his  accusers ;  it  was  the  soft 
answer  which  turneth  away  wrath. 
However  much  we  may  be  disposed 
to  admire  great  military  exploits,  and 
to  account  men  honorable;  in  pro- 
portion to  the  victories  they  have 
gained ;  there  is  a  victory  over  our- 
selves that  far  more  dignifies  a 
man,  than  the  most  extended  con- 
quests over  others  ;  and  we  cannot 
but  regard  Gideon's  defeat  of  the 
Midianitish  host,  with  so  small  a 
force,  as  less  worthy  of  admiration, 
than  the  self-possession  he  exercised 
towards  the  offended  and  reviling 
Ephraimites.  '  He  that  is  slow  to 
anger  is  better  than  the  mighty,  and 
he  that  ruleth  his  spirit,  than  he  that 
taketh  a  city.'  Thus  does  Solomon 
weigh,  in  an  even  balance,  the  dif- 
ferent characters  above  alluded  to. 
Not  a  word  of  recrimination  drop- 
ped from  the  mouth  of  Gideon. 
Though  he  might,  perhaps,  have 
justly  said,  that  when  the  Ephraim- 
ites knew  his  determination  to  op- 
pose the  Midianites,  they  had  never 
offered  their  services,  or  come  for- 
ward to  assist  him;  but  when  the 
danger  was  over,  they  were  ready  to 


What  have  I  done  now  in  com- 
parison of  you  ?  Is  not  the  glean- 
ing of  the  grapes  of  Ephraim 
better  than  the  vintage  of  Abi- 
ezer  ? 

3  ^God   hath  delivered   into 

b  ch.  7.t23,  25.        Phil.  2.  3.    • 


impute  evils  to  him  for  omissions, 
which  were  chargeable  only  on 
themselves.  But,  instead  of  loading 
his  adversaries  with  blame,  or  glanc- 
ing at  any  thing  that  might  either 
betray  irritation  in  his  mind,  or 
strengthen  it  in  theirs,  he  is  glad  to 
search  ou:  causes  of  commendation. 
He  magnifies  their  performance,  and 
gives  them  the  credit  ofdoing  more  in 
the  pursuit,  in  their  gleanings,  than 
he  in  the  battle,  the  vintage  of  Abi- 
ezer.  Instead,  moreover,  of  saying, 
'  If  God  has  been  pleased  to  honor 
me,  why  should  that  be  an  offence  to 
youl'  h«  wisely  forebore  to  take  to 
himself  the  credit  that  he  justly 
might,  tkus  bidding  from  them  the 
light  ttat  pained  their  eyes,  and 
casting  i  veil  over  the  actions  that 
had  prcvoked  their  jealousy.  A 
striking  instance  this  of  the  'charity 
which  /aunteth  not  itself,  which 
seeketh  not  her  own.'  His  conduct 
naturally  leads  to  the  remark,  (1.) 
That  tie  only  way  to  appease  un- 
reasonaDle  wrath  is  by  curbing,  in 
the  spiiit  of  meekness  and  forbear- 
ance, th2  outbreak  of  a  kindred  pas- 
sion in  ourselves.  Yielding  paci- 
fieth  grtat  offences.  (2.)  True  hu- 
mility not  only  sheds  a  double  lustre 
over  all  our  gifts,  graces,  and  attain- 
ments, lut  is  a  disposition  tending 
no  less  to  the  preservation  of  our 
own  happiness,  than  to  the  concilia- 
tion of  those  who  are  offended  at  us ; 
for  if  oace  willing  to  forego  the 
honor  tc  which  we  are  entitled,  it 
will  appear  a  small  thing  to  us  to  be 
censured  without  a  cause  ;  seeing 
that  such  censures  only  reduce  us  to 
the  place  which  we  were  previously, 
in  our  ovn  minds,  disposed  to  oc- 
cupy. And  it  will  almost  invariably 
be  found  true,  that  as  men  are  ready 
to  hate  tliose  who  arrogate  honor 


272 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249- 


your  hands  the  princes  of  Midi- 
an,  Oreb  and  Zeeb  :  and  what 
was  I  able  to  do  in  comparison 
of  you  ?  Then  their  ^anger  was 
abated  toward  him,  when  he 
had  said  that. 

4  IT  And  Gideon  came  to  Jor- 
dan, and  passed  over,  he,  and 
the  three  hundred  men  that  tvere 
with  him,  faint,  yet  pursuing 
them. 

5  And  he  said   unto  the  men 


to  themselves,  so  will  thej  be  more 
easily  reconciled  to  those  who  are 
humble  and  unassuming.  IT  Better 
than  the  vintage  of  Abi-eztr.  That 
is,  of  the  Manassites,  fron  whom 
the  family  of  Abi-ezer,  lo  which 
Gideon  belonged,  descended.  Chald. 
'  are  not  the  feeble  of  the  house  of 
Ephraim,  better  than  the  strong  of 
the  house  of  Abi-ezer  V 

3.  Their  anger  was  ahatcl.  Heb. 
'  their  spirit  relaxed,  remitted  itself 
from  him.'  How  powerful  to  blunt 
the  edge  of  other  men's  displeasure 
is  a  conduct  conformed  to  the  Scrip- 
tural precept,  '  Let  nothing  be  done 
through  strife  and  vain  glorj^,  but  in 
lowliness  of  mind  let  each  esteem 
others  better  than  themselves.' 

4.  Gideon  came  to  Jordm,  and 
passed  over.  Or,  Heb.  '  had  passed 
over.'  See  on  v.  1.  Whet  is  re- 
lated in  the  preceding  versus  seems 
to  be  by  anticipation.  ^[  Faint, 
yet  pursuing.  Much  fatigued  with 
what  they  had  already  accomplished, 
yet  eager  to  follow  up  the  blow,  and 
determined  not  to  give  over  till  the 
victory  was  perfectly  achieved. 
This  is  often  the  Christian's  case  in 
the  prosecution  of  his  spiritual  war- 
fare. His  '  mortal  spirit  tires  and 
faints,'  yet  he  struggles  ou  with  the 
little  strength  that  still  remains  to 
him,  leaning  upon  omnipotence,  and 
resolved  to  conquer  or  die. 

5.  He  said  unto  the  men  of  Succoih. 
From  this  we  learn  the  precise  spot 


of  ^Succoth,  Give,  I  pray  you, 
loaves  of  bread  unto  the  people 
that  follow  me :  for  they  he 
faint,  and  I  am  pursuing  after 
Zebah  and  Zalmunna,  kings  of 
Midian. 

6  %  And  the  princes  of  Succ- 
oth  said,  ^Are  the  hands  of  Ze- 
bah and  Zalmunna  now  in  thy 
hand,  that  ^  we  should  give  bread 
unto  thine  army  ? 

7  And  Gideon  said,  Therefore 


d  Gen.  33.  17.    Ps.  60. 
f  Seel  Sam.  25.  11. 


e  See  1  Kings  20.  11. 


where  Gideon  crossed  the  Jordan. 
It  was  at  the  point  where  the  Jordan 
emerges  from  the  Lake  of  Genesa- 
ret,  for  near  to  this,  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river,  in  the  tribe  of  Gad,  lay 
the  city  of  Succoth,  i.  e.  of  tents  or 
booths^  so  called  from  Jacob's  having 
here  pitched  his  tents  on  his  removal 
from  Mesopotamia,  Gen.  43.  17.  As 
Gideon  was  now  engaged  in  the 
common  cause  of  Israel,  he  had  a 
right  to  expect  succor  from  the  peo- 
ple at  large.  This  claim  he  hints  at 
in  the  close  of  the  verse.  IT  The 
people  that  follow  me,  Heb. '  that  are 
at  my  feet.'    See  on  ch.  4. 10, 

6.  And  the  princes  of  Succoth  said, 
&c.  The  verb  in  the  singular,  the 
noun  in  the  plural,  intimating  that 
some  one  spoke  in  the  name  of  the 
rest ;  or,  perhaps,  rather  that  they 
were  all  unanimous  in  this  reply,  as 
if  they  had  been  but  one  man  speak- 
ing with  one  mouth.  Comp.  Num. 
32.  25.  It  may  seem  scarcely  cred- 
ible that  the  inhabitants  of  Succoth 
and  Peniel  should  refuse  bread  to 
their  famished  brethren ;  but  having 
been  seven  years  under  the  domina- 
tion of  the  Midianites,  to  whom  they 
lived  contiguous,  they  doubtless  not 
only  dreaded  their  vengeance,  but 
deemed  it  highly  improbable  that 
Gideon  should  succeed.  H  Are  the 
hands  of  Zeba  and  Zalmunna  rioxo  in 
tliine  hand  7  Are  their  hands  bound 
behind  them  as  captive  prisoners, 
indicating  that  their  persons  are  en- 


A.  C.  1249.] 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


273 


when  the  Lord  hnth  delivered 
Zebah  and  Zalniunna  into  my 
hand,  sthen  I  will  tear  your 
flesh  witl)  the  thorns  of  the  wil- 
derness and  with  briers. 

8  II  And  he  went  up  thence 
•"to  Penuel,  and  spake  unto  them 
likewise  :  and  the  men  of  Penu 

g  ver.  16.         h  Gen.  3i.  3J.      1  Kings  12.  25. 

tirely  in  thy  power  1  A  bitter  and 
mahgnant  taunt,  as  if  he  were  cele- 
brating a  triumph  before  he  had  ob- 
tained the  victory.  '  To  have  ques- 
tioned so  sudden  a  victory,  had  been 
pardonable  ;  but  to  deny  it  scornfully 
was  unworthy  of  Israelites.  Carnal 
men  think  that  impossible  to  others, 
which  they  themselves  cannot  do ; 
hence  their  censures,  hence  their 
exclamations.'  Bp.  Hall.  How  of- 
ten too  do  those  from  whom  we 
might  reasonably  look  for  the  most 
cordial  assistance,  seek,  like  the  men 
of  Succoth,  to  weaken  our  hands 
and  discourage  our  hearts  1 

7.  /  will  tear  your  Jiesh  with  the 
thorns,  &c.  Or,  Heb.  '  will  thresh.' 
The  threat  probably  relates  to  a 
cruel  method  of  torture  used  in  those 
times,  for  putting  captives  to  death, 
by  laying  briers  and  thorns-on  their 
naked  bodies,  and  then  drawing  over 
them  some  heavy  implements  of  hus- 
bandry. The  opinion  of  Drusius, 
that  persons  put  to  death  in  this  man- 
ner were  laid  naked  on  thorns  and 
briers,  and  then  both  crushed  and 
trampled  together,  seems  to  be  con- 
firmed by  the  force  of  the  preposition 
in  the  original  (nbt),  which  like  the 
Latin  cum,  properly  imports  '  to- 
gether with'  una  cum,  rather  than 
'by.'  Chald.  'I  will  mangle  your 
flesh  upon  the  thorns,  and  upon  the 
briers.'  '  Thus  did  Gideon  threaten 
the  inhabitants  of  Succoth ;  and  thus 
do  masters,  fathers,  and  schoolmas- 
ters, swear  they  will  punish  those 
who  have  offended  them.  To  see 
the  force  of  the  figure,  it  must  be 
kept  in  mind  that  the  people  (in  the 
East)  are  almost  in  a  state  of  nudity. 
To  tear  a  man's  naked  body,  there- 
24 


el  answered  him  as  the  men  of 
Succoth  had  answered  him. 

9  And  he  spake  also  unto  the 
men  of  Penuel,  saying,  When  I 
icume  again  in  peace,  ^I  will 
break  down  this  tower. 

10  IF  Now  Zebah  and  Zal. 
munna   were    in     Karkor,   and 

i  1  KiiiKE22.  27.  k  ver   17. 

fore,  with  briers  and  thorns,  would 
be  no  small  punishment.  See  poor 
travellers  sometimes,  who,  in  conse- 
quence of  a  wild  beast,  or  some  other 
cause,  have  to  rush  into  the  thicket; 
before  they  can  get  out  again,  in  con- 
sequence of  thorns,  they  are  literally 
covered  with  blood.  There  have 
been  instances  where  a  master,  in 
his  anger,  has  taken  a  jagged  edge  of 
the  palmirah  branch,  to  tear  the 
naked  body  of  his  slave,  and  nothing 
can  be  more  common  than  to  threaten 
it  shall  be  done  to  those  who  have 
given  often ce.  People  also  often 
menace  each  other  with  the  repeti- 
tion of  the  old  punishment  of  tying 
the  na  ked  body  in  a  bundle  of  thorns, 
and  rolling  it  on  the  ground.  Bot- 
erts.  See  farther  respecting  this 
pimishment  on  v.  16. 

8.  Went  up  thence  to  Pemtel.  A 
city  also  in  the  tribe  of  Gad  near  the 
brook  Jabbok,  and  not  far  from  Suc- 
coth; so  called  by  Jacob  for  the  rea- 
son mentioned  Gen.  32.  30,  31.  Tf 
Spake  unto  them  likewise.  That  is. 
he  made  the  same  request  to  them 
that  he  had  to  the  men  of  Succoth. 

9.  When  I  come  again  in  peace. 
That  is,  according  to  the  Heb.  idiom, 
when  I  return  in  soundness,  in  safe- 
ty, in  triumph;  as  his  strong  faith 
assured  him  would  be  the  ease.  He 
defers  the  intended  vengeance  for  the 
present,  for  fear  of  losing  time  in  the 
pursuit,  and  perhaps  from  a  secret 
hope  that  they  might  upon  farther 
reflection  repent  of  their  refusal  and 
atone  for  it  by  sending  suc-cors  and 
supplies  after  him.  II  Iioill  break 
down  this  tower.  They  had  probably 
on  giving  their  answer  pointed  in- 
sultingly to  a  tower  in  which  their 


274 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249. 


tlieir  hosts  with  them,  about  fif- 
teen  thousand  men,  all  that  were 
left  of 'all  the  hosts  of  the  chil- 
dren of  the  east:  for  there  fell 
a  hundred  and  twenty  thousand 
men  that  drew  sword. 

11  IT  And  Gideon  went  up 
by  the  way  of  them  that  dwelt 
in  tents  on  the  east  of  ™Nobah 
and  Jogbehah,  and  smote  the 
host :  for  the  host  was  "secure. 

12  And  when  Zebah  and 
Zalmunna  fled,  he  pursued  after 
them,  and  "took  the  two  kings 
of  Midian,  Zobah  and  Zalmunna, 
and  discomfited  all  the  host. 

13  IF  And  Gideon  the  son  of 

Ich.   7.  12.        m  Num.  32.  35,  42.  n  ch.  18.  27. 

1  Tiiess.  5.  3.        oPs.  8i.  U. 

chief  defence  lay,  and  intimated  to 
him  that  he  might  do  his  worst,  for 
they  could  amply  defend  themselves. 

10.  I/i  Karkor.  A  town  near  the 
east  frontiers  of  Gad,  and  at  no  great 
distance  from  the  source  of  the  sm_all 
rix-er  Jabbok.  It  is  no  where  else 
mentioned. 

11.  By  the  toay  of  them  that  dwelt  in 
tents.  Probably  he  took  an  unwonted 
and  unsuspected  route  along  the  ter- 
ritories of  the  Scenite  or  tent-dwell- 
ing Arabs.  Chald.  '  Gideon  went 
up  by  the  way  of  the  camps  of  the 
Arabians,  who  dwell  in  tents  in  the 
desert.'  Schmid,  however,  thinks 
the  allusion  is  to  a  portion  of  the 
trans-jordanic  Israelites  who  follow- 
ed the  nomade  mode  of  life  in  these 
regions,  as  the  Arabs  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Midian,  being  among  the 
*  sons  of  the  East,'  may  be  supposed 
more  likely  to  have  been  confede- 
rate with  them  in  the  expedition, 
and  not  disposed  to  let  Gideon  pass 
peaceably  through  their  borders, 
nr  The  host  was  secure.  Heb.  '  the 
host  was  become  security;'  not  only 
secure,  but  in  their  own  estimation, 
security  itself. 

13.  Before  the  sun  was  up.  More 
correctly  rendered  according  to  the 


Joash  returned  from  battle  before 
the  sun  ivas  up^ 

14  And  caught  a  young  man 
of  the  men  of  Succoth,  and  in- 
quired of  him  :  and  he  described 
unto  him  the  princes  of  Suc- 
coth, and  the  elders  thereof,  even 
threescore  and  seventeen  men. 

15  And  he  came  unto  the 
men  of  Succoth,  and  said,  Be- 
hold Zebah  and  Zalmunna,  with 
whom  ye  did  nupbraid  me,  say- 
ing. Are  the  hands  of  Zebah  and 
Zalmunna  now  in  thy  hand, 
that  we  should  give  bread  unto 
thy  men  that  are  weary  ? 

16  "jAnd  he  took  the  elders 

p  ver.  6.  q  ver.  7. 


Heb.  c^nn  nb"'73P^  '  from  the  ascen^^ 
or  height  of  Heres.'  This  rendering 
is  confirmed  by  the  Septuagint,  the 
Syriac,  and  the  Arabic.  The  ori- 
ginal '  Heres'  is  never  used  for 
'  sun'  except  in  the  poetical  style, 
Job,  9.  7,  while  express  mention  is 
made  of  mount  Heres,  ch.  1.  35. 
The  writer's  drift  is  probably  to  inti- 
mate that  Gideon  returned  by  a  dif- 
ferent route  from  that  by  which  he 
went. 

14.  He  described  unto  him.  Heb. 
'  he  wrote  for  him.'  He  gave  the 
names  in  Writing  of  seventy  persons, 
the  chief  men  of  Succoth,  who  were 
most  concerned  in  refusing  him  and 
his  men  the  refreshment  he  request- 
ed. IT  And  the  elders  thereof.  Even 
the  elders  thereof.  The  princes  and 
the  elders  were  the  same  persons. 

16.  He  took — thorns  and  briers  of 
the  vnlderness.  and  with  them  he 
taught  the  men  of  Succoth.  Heb. 
'made  to  know.'  He  made  them 
sensible  of  their  crime  and  folly;  in 
other  words,  he  punished  them  by 
putting  them  to  death  by  this  mode 
of  torture.  This  is  to  be  inferred 
from  the  fact  that  their  oflence  was 
the  same  as  that  of  the  men  of  Penu- 
el,  whom  he  certainly  did  put  to 


A.  C.  1249.] 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


275 


of  the  city,  and  horns  of  the 
wilderness,  and  briers,  and  with 
them  he  taught  the  men  of  Siic- 
coth. 

17  'And   he    beat  down   the 


death.  The  probability  is  that  their 
naked  bodies  were  laid  in  the  midst 
of  a  heap  of  thorns,  briers,  and  prick- 
ly brush,  and  then  threshing  sledges 
or  other  heavy  implements  of  hus- 
bandry were  drawn  over  them.  In 
northern  nations  where  the  body  is 
completely  covered,  the  idea  of  such 
punishments  with  thorns  on  the  na- 
ked person,  seems  a  far-fetched  de- 
vice;  but  in  the  East,  wiiere  the 
clothing  leaves  much  more  of  the 
person  expose;],  rnd  where,  in  con- 
sequence, men  are  continually  lacer- 
ating their  skins  in  passing  through 
thickets,  &c.,  the  idea  of  such  lacer- 
ation is  always  kept  present  either 
by  the  actual  experience  of  suffering, 
or  by  the  constant  observation  of  it. 
Hence  tearing  the  flesh  with  thorns 
comes  to  be  a  familiar  idea  of  penal 
infliction,  and  as  such  is  popularly 
mentioned  as  among  the  punish- 
ments which  evil-doers  deserve,  or 
will  obtain,  not  only  in  this  life,  but 
in  the  life  to  come. — The  punish- 
ment, it  mast  be  acknowledged,  was 
severe,  but  the  provocation  was 
great.  Considered  as  an  act  of  in- 
gratitude and  inhumanity  only,  it 
was  exceedingly  sinful;  for  what 
could  be  more  base  than  to  refuse  a 
meal  to  those  v/ho  had,  at  the  peril  of 
tlieir  own  lives,  delivered  the  whole 
nation  from  the  yoke  of  Midian ; 
and  were  now,  though  only  three 
hundred  in  number,  following  the 
remaining  fugitives,  fif.y  times  as 
numerous  as  themselves,  in  order  to 
extirpate  them  entirely  1  Had  they 
been  mere  strangers  and  travellers  in 
distress,  their  request  would  have 
been  reasonable  and  a  refusal  barba- 
rous ;  but  considering  that  they  were 
their  own  countrymen,  and  fiafh'ing 
their  country's  battles  under  the  spe- 
cial calling  and  direction  of  Heaven, 
it  was  treason  of  the  blackest  dye  -,  it 


tower  of  '^Peniiel,  and  slew  the 
naen  of  the  city. 

18  IT  Then  said  he  unto  Ze- 
bah  and  Zalmunria,  What  man- 
ner of  men  icere  they  whom  ye 

si  Kings  12.  25. 


was  the  very  way  to  prevent  the  ex- 
ecution of  the  divine  purposes,  and 
if  God  had  not  miraculously  renew- 
ed the  strength  of  the  visitors,  this 
refusal  of  food  to  them  would  have 
done  more  to  vanquish  them  than  all 
the  hosts  of  Midian  had  been  able  to 
effect.  But  they  added  insult  to  in- 
jury ;  they  endeavored  to  weaken 
his  hands  by  deriding  the  vanity  of 
his  attempts  ;  they  answered  him  in 
a  tone  of  bantering  and  scorn,  and 
thus  poured  contempt  upon  a  cause 
which  being  of  God  was  thereby 
rendered  sacred.  So  that  taking 
all  things  intoview, it  cannot beques- 
tioned  that  Gideon  did  right  in  ma- 
king a  fearful  example  of  such  wick- 
ed traitors.  The  whole  of  this  re- 
markable transaction  tends  to  inspire 
us  with  confidence  in  God,  and  to 
encourage  our  exertions  in  his 
cause;  but  there  are  two  lessons  es- 
pecially which  we  shall  do  well  to 
learn  from  it;  (1)  To  prosecute  our 
spiritual  AA'arfare  under  all  discour- 
agements ourselves;  and  (2)  To  be 
careful  to  put  no  discouragements  in 
the  way  of  others.  God  is  indignant 
with  those  who  would  weaken  the 
hands  of  his  people.  His  command 
is, '  Strengthen  ye  the  weak  hands, 
and  confirm  the  feeble  knees;  say 
unto  them  that  are  of  a  fearful  heart, 
Be  strong,  fear  not;  your  God  will 
come  and  help  you.' 

18.   W/iat  maimer    of  men  were 

they  vy/iom,  ye  sleic  at  Tabor.     This 

question  relates  to  an  occurrence  not 

previously  mentioned,  but  the  infer- 

I  ence  is,  that   these   uterine   or    full 

j  brothers  of  Gideon,  during  the  seven 

year's  oppression  of  Midian,  when 

!  the  children  of  Israel  had  been  com- 

!  pelled  to  make  themselves  dens  in 

j  the  mountains,  ch.  6.  2,  had  taken 

I  shelrer  in  mount  Tabor,  where  they 

1  were  found  by  these  two  kings  and 


278 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249. 


slew  at  iTabor?     And  they  an-  !  if  ye   had    saved   them    alive,  I 

would  not  slay  you. 

20  And  he  said  unto  Jether 
his  first-born,  Up,  and  slay  them. 
Bui  the  youth  drew  not  his  sword  : 
for  he  feared,  because  he  was 
yet  a  youth. 


swered,  As  thou  art^  so  were 
they  ;  each  one  resembled  the 
c'lildren  of  a  king. 

19  And  he  said.  They  were 
my  brethren,  even  the  sons  of 
my  mother  :  as  the  Lord  liveth, 

t  ch    4.  fi.         Ps.  S9.  1-2. 

bJibarously  massacred  in  cold  blood. 
Ii  may  be  that  the  event  had  occur- 
red but  a  short  time  before  during 
Gideon's  absence,  and  that  he  had 
merely  heard  a  confused  account  of 
it;  still  it  is  not  clear,  simply  from 
the  interrogative  form  of  the  address, 
that  Gideon  was  uncertain  whether 
his  brethren  had  perished  by  the 
hand  of  these  two  princes.  He 
may  have  put  the  question  in  order 
to  draw  the  acknowledgement  of  the 
deed  from  their  own  lips,  and  thus 
make  his  justice  in  their  punishment 
more  conspicuous.  It  should  not  be 
forgotten  that  the  day  is  coming 
when  every  secret  thing  will  be 
brought  to  light,  and  such  conviction 
flash  on  the  offenders  that  they  will 
no  longer  be  able  to  conceal  their 
guilt.  ^  Each  one  resembled  the 
children  of  a  king.  This  is  an  Orien- 
talism still  in  use.  Of  a  person  who 
is  beautiful  or  of  a  fair  complexion, 
who  is  courageous,  and  stately  in  his 
gait,  it  is  said  in  the  East, '  He  is  like 
the  son  of  a  king ;'  '  He  is  the  son  of 
a  god.'  In  the  measures  of  compar- 
ison, the  king  and  that  which  be- 
longs to  him,  forms  the  superlative 
degree,  and  to  say  that  a  person  or 
thing  is  kingly,  or  like  that  which 
belongs  to  a  king,  is  to  say  that  it  is 
the  most  excellent  of  its  kind.  From 
the  reports  of  travellers  it  would  ap- 
pear that  in  some  way  or  other,  the 
royal  families  in  the  Enst  are  usiiai- 
Iv  remarkable  for  the  beauty  and 
majesty  of  their  persons;  so  that  the 
comparison  is  something  more  than 
a  mere  complimentary  phrase. 

19.  Mil  brethren,  even  th".  sons  of  my 
mother.  In  countries  where  poly- 
gamy is  tolerated,  the  ties  of  brother- 
hood are,  as    might    be    expected, 


much  more  close  and  tender  between 
those  who  are  born  of  the  same  mo- 
ther, than  those  who  are  connected 
only  as  the  children  of  the  same  fa- 
ther. Of  this  we  have  had  and  shall 
have  ample  evidence  in  the  sacred 
history.  This  explains  why  '  son  of 
my  mother'  was  among  the  He- 
brews, as  now  among  the  Arabs  and 
others,  a  far  more  endearing  ex- 
pression than  that  of  'my  brother,' 
in  the  general  sense.  IF  /  would 
not  slay  you.  Which  he  was  not 
bound  to  do,  inasmuch  as  they  were 
not  Canaanites. 

20.  Up,  and  slay  them.  The  He- 
brews had  no  executioner.  When 
a  man  was  guilty  of  homicide,  the 
execution  devolved  on  the  next  of 
kin,  by  right  of  blood-revenge;  in 
other  cases  criminals  were  stoned  by 
the  people,  the  witnesses  setting  the 
example  :  and  when  a  king  or  chief 
ordered  a  person  to  be  put  to  death, 
the  office  was  performed  by  the  per- 
son to  wiiom  the  command  was 
given.  And  this  was  generally  a 
person  whose  consideration  in  life 
bore  some  proportion  to  that  of  the 
person  to  be  slain.  In  fact,  the  of- 
fice even  of  a  regular  executioner  is 
not  by  any  means  dishonorable  in 
the  East.  "The  post  of  chief  execu- 
tioner is  in  most  Oriental  courts  one 
of  honor  and  distinction.  When 
thus  there  was  no  regular  execu- 
tioner, it  came  to  be  considered  a 
sort  of  honor  to  put  a  distinguished 
person  to  death;  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  death  itself  was  honorable 
in  proportion  to  the  rank  of  the  per- 
son by  whom  the  blow  was  inflicted. 
It  was  the  greatest  dishonor  to  perish 
by  the  hands  of  a  woman  or  a  slave. 
VVe  see  this  feeling  distinctly  in  the 


A,  C.  1296.] 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


277 


21  Then  Z(;bah  and  Zalmun- 
na  said,  Rise  thou,  and  lull  upon 
us  :  for  as  the  man  is,  so  is  his 
strength.  And  Gideon  arose, 
and  "slew  Zebah  and  Zalmunna, 
and  took  away  the  ornaments 
that  v)ere  on  their  camels'  necks. 

22  1[  Then  the  men  of  Israel 
said  unto  Gideon,  Rule  thou 
(^ver  us,  both  thou,  and  thy  son. 
and  thy  son's  son  also  :  for  thou 

u  Ps.  83.  u. 

present  narrative,  where  the  two 
princes  much  prefer  to  die  by  Gide- 
on's own  hand  than  by  that  of  a 
youth  who  had  obtained  no  personal 
distinction.  As  to  the  hero's  cora- 
mi.ssioning  his  son  to  perform  this 
otiice.  it  was  perhaps  partly  to  honor 
him  with  the  distinction  of  having 
slain  two  chief  enemies  of  Israel ; 
as  well  as  because  the  rules  of  blood- 
revenge  made  it  necessary  that  the 
execution  of  those  who  had  slain  his 
own  brethren,  should  either  be  per- 
formed by  himself,  or  by  a  member 
of  his  own  family. 

21.  Ax  the  man  is,  so  is  his  strength. 
His  strength  is  proportionate  tohis 
rige,  and  therefore  they  would  sooner 
be  dispatched,  and  with  less  piin,  by 
Gideon  than  by  a  youth.  IT  Took 
away  the  ornamenis  that  'ice re  on 
their  camels''  necks.  Heb,  '  little 
raoons,  crescents.'  Probably  shin- 
ing plates  of  gold  or  other  metal 
in  the  form  of  crescents  suspend- 
ed from  the  camels'  necks,  and 
hanging  down  upon  their  breasts  in 
front.  The  heads,  necks,  bodies, 
and  legs,  of  camels,  horses,  and  ele- 
phants, are  still  highly  ornamented 
in  Eastern  countries. 

23.  Ride  thou  over  ns,  &c.  That 
is,  they  would  have  him  to  be  king ; 
and  here  it  is  that  the  Hebrews  first 
betray  a  desire  to  establish  a  heredi- 
tary kingdom,  forgetting  the  pecu- 
liar character  of  their  government, 
and  the  high  distinction  which  they 
enjoyed  in  having  Jehovah  for  their 
king.  But  the  pious  hero  him.self 
24* 


hast  delivered  us  from  the  hand 
of  Midian. 

23  And  Gideon  said  unto 
them,  1  will  not  rule  over  you, 
neither  shall  my  son  rule  over 
you  :  ^the  Lord  shall  rule  over 
you. 

24  H  And  Gideon  said  unto 
tiiem,  I  would  desire  a  request 
of  you,  that  you  would  give 
me  every  man  the  ear-rings  of 

X  lS<m.  8.  7.  S:  10.19.  &  12.  12. 


was  mindful  of  it,  replying  in  th^ 
true  spirit  of  the  theocracy,  '  I  will 
not  rule  over  you,  neither  shall  my 
son  rule  over  you,  the  Lord  shall 
rule  over  you.'  Gideon  in  modest- 
ly and  piously  declining  the  pro- 
posal acted  with  a  moderation  and 
wisdom  worthy  of  himself.  He 
v.'ould  do  nothing  that  seemed  to 
trench  upon  the  divine  prerogative. 
Though  he  would  serve  them  as  a 
judge,  he  would  not  rule  over  them 
as  a  king.  His  decision  showed 
how  much  he  had  in  subjection  the 
motives  which  usually  prevail  with 
men.  The  ambition  of  exalting  a 
a  family  is  a  great  snare  ;  but  a  true 
patriot,  who  aims  not  at  his  ov%ai,  but 
the  public  good,  will  decline  rather 
than  seek  those  honors,  and  rest 
satisfied  with  deserving  well  of  his 
country,  without  aspiring  to  rule  it. 
All  his  sons,  however,  were  not  of 
his  mind,  and  did  not  forget  this  of- 
fer, as  will  appear  in  the  sequel. 

24.  That  ye  loould  give  me  every 
man  the  car-rings  of  his  prey.  Or, 
Heb.  '  every  man  an  ear-ring  of  his 
prey.'  The  word  in  the  original  is 
in  the  singular,  and  it  seems  more 
likely  that  Gideon  would  have  re- 
quested a  moderate  contribution 
from  each  man,  than  that  he  should 
have  demanded  all  the  jewels  of  this 
kind  which  fell  to  the  share  of  his 
followers,  and  which  perhaps  con- 
stituted the  most  valuable  portion  of 
their  prey.  The  request  of  Gide- 
on, though  doubtless  well  intended, 
was  certainly  unfortunate  in  its  re- 


278 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1249. 


his  prey.  (For  they  had  golden 
car-rings,  ybecause  they  were 
Ishmaelites.) 

25  And  they  answered,  We 
will  wiUingly  give  tlieT?i.  And 
they  spread  a  garment,  and  did 
cast  therein  every  man  the  ear- 
rmgs  of  his  prey. 

26  And  the  weight  of  the 
golden  ear-rings  that  he  reques- 

y  Gen   25.  13.  &  37.  'Z-J   2.-i. 

sails,  as  the  sequel  clearly  proves. 
On  the  true  import  of  cT:  here  ren- 
dered ear-ring,  see  on  Gen.  24.22 
*i Because  t/iei/ were  Ishviaelitcs.  The 
Midianites  were  not  properly  Ish- 
rnaeliles,  being  descended  from  an- 
.oiher  son  of  Abraham ;  but  from  be- 
ing much  intermixed  with  them, 
from  following  the  same  mode  of 
life,  and  possessing  the  same  general 
manners,  they  might  well  be  so  call- 
ed.. Indeed  the  terms  '  Ishmaelites' 
and  '  Midianites,'  seem  to  have  been 
used  interchangeably  from  a  very 
early  period.  Gen.  38.  25.  Probably 
all  those  eastern  kindredtribes  whose 
way  of  life  was  similar,  and  were 
much  mixed  with  the  Arabians, 
were  called  Ishmaelites  in  a  general 
sense.  It  is  also  probable  that  large 
numbers  of  real  Ishmaelites  acted 
with  the  Midianites  on  this  occasion, 
and  Boothroyd  would  restrict  the 
words  of  the  text  to  these  : — '  Those 
slain,  who  were  Ishmaelites.  wore 
golden  pendants.'  In  consequence 
of  Mohammed's  having  prohibited 
rings  of  gold,  the  modern  Arabs  do 
not  exhibit  such  costly  ornaments 
as  the  ancient  Midianites. 

25.  We  will  irillingly  give.  Heb- 
'  giving  we  will  give."'  The  same 
feelings  which  had  just  before 
prompted  them  to  offer  him  a  crown, 
undoubtedly  disposed  them  now  to 
comply  with  his  request,  with  the 
utmost  readiness.  Though  he  ask- 
ed but  a  single  article  from  each,  yet 
from  the  total  amount  of  the  dona- 
tioHj  it  would  seem  that  in  giving 


ted,  was  a  thousand  and  seven 
hundred  shekels  of  gold ;  besides 
ornaments,  and  collars,  and  pur. 
pie  raiment  that  was  on  the 
kings  of  Midian,  and  besides  the 
chains  that  were  about  their 
camels'  necks. 

27  And  Gideon  ^made  an  eph- 
od  thereof,  and  put  it  in  his  city, 
even  =in  Oprah  :  and   all    Israel 


many  of  them  went  be3'ond  the  letter 
of  his  request,  and  threw  in  a  num- 
ber. 

26.  And  the  weight — was  a  thou- 
sand and  seven  hundred  shekels  of 
gold.  Taking  the  shekel  at  half  an 
ounce  weight,  the  sum  of  the  gold 
collected  in  ear-rings  was  seventy 
three  pounds  four  ounces;  and  worth, 
as  gold  now  rates,  upwards  of  twelve 
thousand  dollars.  U  Ornaments. 
The  same  word  as  that  applied  to 
the  '  ornaments'  of  the  camels,  v.  21, 
and  probably  denoting  articles  of  the 
same  form  and  material.  TI  Collars. 
Rather,  as  the  original  fTtj^t^D 
comes  from  r|i::  to  drop,  to  distil  by 
drops,  ear-drops,  or  pendants  of 
pearl,  from  their  form.  ^Purple. 
See  on  Ex.  35.  35.  The  present  is 
the  first  indication  of  purple  as  a 
royal  color. 

27.  Gideon  made  an  ephod  thereof. 
An  ephod  was  a  vestment  covering 
the  shoulders  and  extending  over 
the  breast,  somewhat  like  a  coat -with- 
out sleeves.  There  were  two  kinds 
of  them  ;  one,  a  rich  garment,  pecu- 
liar to  the  high  priest,  made  of  blue, 
purple,  scarlet,  and  twined  linen, 
curiously  wrought,  and  embroider- 
ed with  gold.  In  this  was  set  the 
breastplate  studded  with  precious 
vStones,  and  containing  the  tFrim  and 
Thummim,  by  which  the  high  priest 
consulted  the  will  of  Jehovah,  Ex. 
25.  7.  28.  4.  The  other  was  made 
after  the  same  model,  but  of  inferior 
materials,  being  composed  simply  of 
fine  linen,  and  worn  not  only  by  the 


A.  C.  1249.] 


CHAPTER  Vm. 


^279 


^went  thither  a  wlioring  after  it : 
which  thing  became  "a  snare 
unto  Gideon,  and  to  his  house. 

28  H  Thus  was  Midian  sub- 
dued  before  the  children  of  Is- 
rael, so  that  they  lifted  up  their 
heads  no  more.      ^' And  the  coun- 


priests,  but  by  the  Levites  and  others 
in  divine  ministrations,  as  we  see 
from  the  case  of  Samuel,  1  Sara.  2. 
18,  and  of  David,  1  Sam.  17.  16, 
neither  of  whom  belonged  to  the  sa- 
cerdotal order.  The  epliod  made 
by  Gideon  was  undoubtedly  design- 
ed to  be  of  the  former  kind,  and  was 
thus  wrought  with  great  splendor. 
■His  real  motive  in  this  transaction 
is  not  very  easily  determined.  Some 
think  the  ephod  was  designed  mere- 
ly as  a  commemorative  trophy  of 
Israel's  deliverance ;  but,  if  so,  it 
was  a  very  strange  one,  having  no 
conceivable  relation  to  such  an  event. 
The  more  probable  opinion  undoubt- 
edly is,  that  it  was  intended  wholly 
for  a  religious  use.  Gideon  had,  at 
his  first  calling,  been  instructed  to 
build  an  altar  and  offer  sacrifice. 
This  perhaps  induced  him  to  think 
himself  authorized  to  officiate  in  the 
same  way,  occasional!}'',  at  his  own 
hou^e,  and  as'he  knew  that  an  ephod 
was  a  usual  appendage  to  such  an 
office,  he  might  have  had  one  form- 
ed, and  finished  in  sumptuous  style 
for  this  purpose,  if  this  be  the  right 
"conjecture,  the  worship  performed 
Avas  doubtless  in  honor  of  the  true 
•God,  but  it  was  still  unauthorized 
and  improper,  however  he  may 
have  considered  the  first  commissioii 
as  constituting  a  good  warrant  for 
his  continuing  the  -service.  Even  in 
his  life-time,  it  unquestionably  had 
the  effect  of  withdrawing  the  atten- 
tion of  the  people,  east  of  the  Jordan, 
from  the  tabernacle  at  Shiloh,  and 
so  far  tended  to  pave  the  way  for  that 
decline  into  positive  idolatry,  which 
look  place  after  his  death.  ^All  Is- 
rael went  thither,  &c.  They  made  it  a 
means  of  practising  superstition  and 
idolatry  5  they  resorted  to  this  instead 


try  was  in  quietness  forty  years 
in  the  days  of  Gideon. 

29  H  And  Jerubbaal  the  son 
of  Joash  went  and  dwelt  in  his 
own  house. 

36  And  Gideon  had  «three- 
score  and  ten  sons  of  his  body 


of  the  true  ephod  to  inquire  the  will 
of  God.5  thus  gradually  forsaking 
the  place  which  Jehovah  himself 
had  ordained  as  the  one  seat  of  wor- 
ship. To  such  disastrous  conse- 
quences may  one  false  step  of  a  good 
man  lead,  who  fails  to  weigh  well 
the  issues  of  his  best  meant  conduct. 
The  following  suggestions  naturally 
arise  from  the  narrative.  (1.)  In 
God's  worship  htiraan'  inventions 
•are  to  be  most  carefully  avoided,  and 
the  inspired  word  strictly  adhered 
to.  (2.)  What  may  be  indifferent  or 
innocent  to  one  man,  may,  to  a 
weaker  brother,  be  a  dangerous 
snare.  (3.)  The  beginning  of  sin  is 
as  the  letting  out  of  water.  From 
small  beginniKgs  arose  all  the  pre- 
sent horrid  idolatry  of  the  church  of 
Rome.  IF  Became  a  snare    unto 

Gideon,  and  his  house.  That  is,  be- 
came not  only  a  source  of  evil  per- 
sonally to  Gideon,  enticing  his  affec- 
tions from  the  proper  object,  and 
abating  his  zeal  for  tbe  true  worship 
of  God  in  his  old  age,  but  proving 
the  occasion  of  sin  and  ruin  to  his 
family,  as  appears  from  the  ensuing 
chapter. 

28.  They  lifted  up  their  heads  no 
more.  Recovered  not  their  .former 
strength  or  spirit;  were  not  in  a 
condition  again  to  invade  or  annoy 
the  Israelites  in  their  possessions. 
IT  In  quietness  forty  years  in  the  days 
of  Gideon.  While  Gideon  lived. 
The  forty  years  are  perhaps  to  be 
dated  from  the  defeat  of  the  Midian- 
ites,  and  the  consequent  complete 
recovery  of  the  national  liberty. 

30.  Of  his  body  begotten.  Heb. 
'  coming  out  of  his  thigh.'  Intimat- 
ing they  were  his  own  natural  sons, 
sons  by  generation,  and  not  by  adop- 
tion. 


280 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1209. 


begotten  :     for    he    had     many 
wives. 

31  ^And  his  concubine  that 
was  in  Shecbem,  she  also  bare 
him  a  son,  whose  name  he  call- 
ed Abimelech. 

32  IF  And  Gideon  the  son  of 
Joash  died  ein  a  iiood  old  age, 
and  was  buried  in  the  sepulchre 
of  Joash  his  father,  ''in  Oplirah 
of  the  Abi-ezrites. 

33  And  It  came  to  pass  'as 
soon  as  Gideon  was  dead,  that 
the  chddren  of  Israel  turned 
again,  and  "^went  a  whoring  af- 
ter Baalim,  land  made  Baal- 
berith  their  god. 

34  And  the  children  of  Israel 

fch.  9.  1.  gG.;n.25.  8.  Jol.5.  26.  h  ver  -n- 
cl).  6.  24,         1  cli.  2.  19.-       k  ch.  2.  17.       1  cli.  9.  4,  46. 

31.  His  coiicubine  that  was  in 
Shecheni.  A  lawful,  but  secondary, 
wife,  whose  children  could  not  in- 
herit. See  on  Gen.  IG.  1 — 3.  IT 
Whose  name  he  called  Abimelech. 
Heb.  '  w^hose  name  he  set,  put,  ap- 
pointed, Abimelech.'  The  name  sig- 
nifies, '  My  father  a  king,'  and  was 
perhaps  conferred  out  of  complais- 
ance to  his  concubine,  who  may  have 
desired  it  from  ambitious  motives. 
The  incident  certainly  proved  of 
evil  omen,  whether  Abimelech  was 
prompted  to  the  course  he  pursued 
by  reflecting  upon  the  import  of  his 
name  or  not.  The  influence  of 
names,  in  the  formation  of  charac- 
ter, is  probably  much  greater  than  is 
usually  imagined,  and  deserves  the 
special  attention  of  parents  in  their 
bestowment.  Children  should  be 
taught  that  the  circumstance  of  their 
bearing  the  names  of  good  men  or 
women,  who  have  lived  before  them, 
constitutes  an  obligation  upon  tTiem 
10  imitateandperpetuate  their  viriues. 

33.  Baal-beriih.  That  is.  The 
Lord  of  the  covenant ;  so  called 
perhaps  from  his  being  considered 
the  deity  that  presided  over  compacts, 
leagues,    treaties,    covenants,    &c., 


"'remembered  not  the  Lord 
their  God,  who  had  delivered 
them  out  of  the  hands  of  all 
their  enemies  on  every  side  : 

35  "Neither  showed  they 
kindness  to  the  house  of  Jerub- 
baal,  namely,  Gideon,  according 
to  all  the  goodness  which  he 
had  showed  unto  Israel. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

AND  Abimelech  the  son  of 
Jerubbaal  went  to  Shechem 
unto^his  mother's  brethren,  and 
communed  with  them,  and  with 
all  the  family  of  the  house  of  his 
mother's  father,  saying, 

2  Speak,  I  pray  you,  In  the 


m  Ps.78.  U.  42. 
Eccles.  9.  14.  15. 


1C6.  13,21       I.  ch.  9.  16,  n 
cU.  8.  31. 


especially  to  avenge  the  violation  of 
them. 

34,  35.  Remevibered  not  the  Lord 
their  God., — Neither  shov:ed  they  kind- 
ness to  the  house  of  Jeriibbo^o.l.  On 
the  two  concluding  verses  of  this 
chapter,  we  have  simply  to  remark, 
(1.)  That  they  who  are  kept  from 
evil,  not  so  much  by  their  own  choice 
as  by  the  restraint  of  others,  will, 
like  the  slackened  bow,  start  aside 
the  moment  the  string  is  loosed.  (2.) 
We  are  not  to  wonder  if  they  are 
ungrateful  to  us,  who  show  them- 
selves destitute  of  all  gratitude  to- 
wards God. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

1.  Abimelech — loent  to  Shechem. 
As  Shechem  was  a  city  of  note  in  the 
tribe  of  Ephraim,  and  the  Ephraim- 
ites  appear  to  have  been  a  rash^ 
high-spirited,  and  excitable  people, 
particularly  jealous  of  their  brethren 
of  Manasseh,  and  perhaps  still  cher- 
ishing the  memory  of  the  fancied 
slight  put  upon  them  by  Gideon,  ch. 
8.  1 — 3,  Abimelech,  no  doubt,  pro- 
mised himself,  on  this  ground,  the 
speedy  concurrence  of  the  Shechem- 
ites  in  his  infamous  designs.    But 


A.  C.  1209.] 


CHAPTER  IX. 


581 


ears  of  all  the  men  of  Shechem, 
VVhetlier  Is  belter  for  you,  either 
that  all  the  sons  of  Jerubbaal, 
which  ar€  ^threescore  and  ten 
persons,  reiijn  over  j'ou,  or  that 
one  reign  -over  you  ;  remember 
also  that  I  am  "^your  bone  and 
your  flesh. 

8  And  his  mother's  brethren 


his  first  step  was  to  enlist  his  rela- 
tives in  his  interest,  and  with  this 
view  he  applies  himself  to  them, 
undoubtedly,  with  all  the  arts  of  an 
aspiring  demagogue. 

2.  Tke  mc.'fi-cf  Skechem.  Heb.  '  the 
masters  of  Shechem ;'  implying  per- 
haps the  leading  men,  though  not 
necessarily  confined  to  this  sense. 
IT  Whether  is  better ^  &c.  Heb.  '  what 
is  good  1  whether  the  ruling  over 
you  of  seventy  persons,'  &c.  From 
the  authority  and  influence  which 
Gideon  had  possessed,  and  from  the 
acknowledged  dignity  of  his  family, 
the  presumption  would  naturally  be. 
That  if  the  reins  of  government  were 
to  be  lodged  in  any  hands,  it  would 
be  in  those  of  some  one  of  his  sons, 
or  of  all  of  them  conjointly.  On  this 
hypothesis  Abimelech  builds  his 
project.  But  his  words  convey  a 
slanderous  insinuation  which  is  not 
obvious  to  the  English  reader.  He 
speaks  of  Gideon's  sons  'reigning' 
(^'Tj:>3)or  exeYc\s\r\g  doviination  o\ex 
their  countrymen,  whereas  it  was 
just  this  species  of  rule  which  Gide- 
on so  expressly  rejected  both  for 
himself  and  his  sons,  ch.8.  23,  as  in- 
vading the  prerogative  of  the  Most 
High  ;  being  content  with  the  infe- 
rior degree  of  authority  usually  in- 
dicated by  the  term  'ct'C  io  judcre. 
Nor  is  there  any  evidence,  that  either 
of  his  sons  had  the  least  intention  of 
a:^suming  a  despotic  sway  over  their 
brethren.  But  Abimelech^s  conduct, 
in  this  particular,  affords  but  another 
proof  that  he  who  has  a  wicked  pur- 
pose to  serve  will  not  stick  at  a  lie 
to  accomplish  it,  and  that  those  who 
design  ill  themselves  are  ever  ready 


spake  of  him  in  the  ears  of  all 
the  men  of  Shechem  all  these 
words  :  and  their  hearts  inclined 
to  follow  Abimelech  ;  for  they 
said,  He  is  our  <i brother. 

4  And  they  gave  him  three- 
score and  ten  pieces  of  silver  out 
of  the  house  of  «Baal-berith, 
wherewith       Abimelech     hired 


te  charge  similar  designs  upon 
others.  IT  Your  bene  and  your  flesh. 
Your  kinsman,  of  your  tribe  and 
lineage-,  and  therefore  so  much  the 
more  likely  to  promote  your  inter- 
ests. The  relation  indicated  by 
these  words  is  more  or  Jess  close  ac- 
cording to  the  connection  in  which 
they  occur.  In  some  cases,  it  im- 
plies nothing  more  than  descent  from, 
a  common  ancestor,  1  Chron.  11.  l; 
in  others,  kindred  of  the  same  blood, 
as  Jacob  and  Laban,  Gen.  29.  14, 
David  and  Amasa,  2  Sam.  19.  13; 
and  in  others  again,  it  appears  sim- 
ply to  indicate  the  relation  {subsist- 
ing between  the  inhabitants  of  the 
same  city  or  town.  Perhaps  this  is 
all  that  is  to  be  understood  in  the 
present  case.  But  however  inter- 
preted, it  was  advancing  a  reason 
for  his  election,  which  was  never 
contemplated  in  the  appointment  of 
magistrates  over  the  nation  of  Israel. 
It  was,  in  fact,  directly  opposed  to 
the  true  ends  of  that  institution; 
which  required  that  persons  chosen 
to  office  should  be  selected  on  the 
ground  of  moral  qualifications,  and 
that  in  their  administration  of  jus- 
tice, they  should  be  free  from  the 
'bias  natural!}''  arising  from  private 
and  personal  regards. 

3.  Their  hearts  inclined  to  follow 
Abimelech.  Heb.  '  their  heart  in- 
clined itself  after  Abimelech;'  spok- 
en of  as  the  heart  of  one  man.  The 
reason  assigned  for  their  adherence 
shows  that  his  suggestions  had  taken 
effect.  They  are  prompted  to  sup- 
port his  claims,  because  from  his 
near  relationship  they  would  doubt- 
less be  raised  to  places  of  jirefenraent 


282 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1209. 


^vain  and  light  persons,  which 
followed  him. 

5  And  he  went  unto  his  fa- 
ther's house  Sax  Ophrah,  and 
''slew  his  brethren  tiie  sons  of 
Jerubbaal,  being  threescore  and 

fell. 11   3.     2Chr,  13  7.     Prov.J^ll.      Acts  17.  S 
gcli.  6  21.        hSKi  gs  11.  1,2. 

under  him,  and  their  city  would  be 
likely  to  be  made  the  metropolis  of 
the  kingdom. 

4.  Old  of  ike  house  of  Baal-berith. 
From  this  it  is  evident  that  idolatry 
had  gained  ground  again  in  some 
places  during  the  life-time  of  Gide- 
on. The  treasure  deposited  in  this 
temple,  whieli  had  perhaps  been 
raised  from  oblations  to  the  idol,  and 
thus  consecrated  to  idolatrous  uses, 
is  made  through  the  divine  coun- 
sels the  instrument  of  bringing  upon 
the  idolaters  deserved  punishment, 
by  embroiling  them  in  a  civil  war 
that  caused  their  ruin.  Nothing  is 
more  common,  in  the  providence  of 
God,  than, for  the  revenues  of  sin  to 
be  made  a  plague  and  a  curse  to 
those  that  amass  them.  IT  Vain 
and  light  persons.  Worthless  and 
abandoned  men  ;  idlers  and  vaga- 
bonds, the  very  scum  of  society,  per- 
sons who  were  living  on  the  public, 
and  had  nothing  to  lose;  ever  the 
most  fitting  instruments  of  tyranny 
and  cruelty. 

5.  Slew  his  brethren — threescore 
and  ten  persons.  The  real  number 
would  seem  to  have  been  sixty-eight, 
for  Jotham  escaped,  and  Abimelech 
himself  is  of  course  to  be  excepted. 
This  is  on  the  supposition  that  the 
whole  number  of  Gideon's  sons  was, 
according  to  ch.  8.  30,  precisely 
seventy,  which  however  cannot  be 
positively  affirmed.  The  presump- 
tion is  that  seventy  is  here  em- 
ployed as  a  round  number.  We 
have  in  this  incident  the  first  indi- 
cation of  a  savage  custom  which  is 
not  yet  extinct  in  Asia,  and  under 
which  a  new  king  deems  it  a  mea- 
sure of  policy  to  put  to  death  his  bro- 
thers, from  "a  fear  that  their  ambi- 
tion, or  the  favor  of  the  people  to- 


ten  persons,  upon  one  stone  : 
notwithstatiding,  yet  Jotham  the 
younge.st  son  of  Jerubbaal  was 
left  ;   for  he  hid  himself 

6  And  all  the  men  of  Shechem 
gathered    together,  and  all  the 


wards  them,  might  lead  them  to  form 
designs  against  his  dignity  or  life. 
Thus,  the  commencement  of  a  new 
reign  is  signalized  by  the  same  hor- 
rible transaction  as  that  of  which 
we  here  read.  In  Persia,  where  the 
same  principle  operates,  the  new 
monarchs  have  rather  sought  to  se- 
cure their  own  safety  by  putting  out 
the  eyes  of  their  brothers  and  others 
from  whom  they  might  entertain  ap- 
prehensions. IT  Upon  one  stone. 
Of  the  precise  manner  in  which  the 
murder  was  effected,  we  are  left  in 
ignorance.  It  was  a  common  mode  of 
capital  punishment,  in  ancient  times^ 
to  precipitate  culprits  from  an  emi- 
nence upon  a  rock  or  stone ;  and  to  this 
our  Saviour  seems  to  allude,  Mat.  21. 
44.  According  to  some,  it  was  in  this 
manner  that  the  sons  of  Gideon  per- 
ished on  this  occasion.  Others  sup- 
pose that  the  stone  was  used  as  a  kind 
of  altar,  and  that  upon  it  Abimelech, 
in  conjunction  with  the  men  of  Shcr 
chem,  made  his  unfortunate  victims 
an  oblation  to  Baal,  in  revenue  for 
the  sa.crifice  of  the  bullock  prepared 
for  Baal  on  the  rock,  ch.  6.  2.5,  26- 
This  crime  of  Gideon,  as  these  idol- 
aters considered  it,  the}''  determined 
to  expiate  by  the  sacrifice  of  his  sons. 
That  the  men  of  Shechem  joined  in 
this  impious  slaughter  is  indubitable 
from  V.  24,  and  this  is  rbout  all  that 
can  be  distinctly  ascertained  respect- 
ing it.  It  is  highly  probable,  how- 
ever, that  Abimelech,  under  some 
false  pretence,  as  perhaps  that  of 
celebrating  some  festival,  had  con- 
vened his  brethren  together  in  one 
place.  The  transaction  shows,  what 
indeed  has  baen  shown  in  a  thousand 
similar  instances,  that  ruthless  am- 
bition never  hesitates;  that  neither 
conscience  nor  affection,  neither  the 


A.  C. 


1209.] 


CHAPTER  IX. 


283 


house  ofMillo,  and  went  and  made 
Abinrielech  king,  by  the  plain  of 
tiie  piiiar  that  was  in  Shechem. 
7  ^  And  when  they  told  it  to 
Jotliam,  he  went  and  stood  in  the 
top  of  imount  Gerizim,  and  lilted 

i  Dcu- 11.29.   &  27.12.     Jos!.    8  33     John4.20. 


love  of  God  nor  the  fear  of  man,  re- 
strains tho.se  who  are  under  its  bane- 
ful influence. 

6.  All  ike  house  of  Millo.  Heb. 
i^l^72  n"*:n  Beth-MUlo;  literally,  i/ie 
house  of  filling  up,  perhaps  so  called 
from  a  deep  pit  or  valley  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Shechem  being  fill- 
ed up,  and  a  strong  hold  or  castle 
buiU  upon  it.  There  is  a  strong 
presumption  that  the  same  place  is 
intended  as  that  which,  in  v.  46,  is 
called  '  a  hold  of  the  house  of  the 
god  Berith.'  IF  By  the  plain  of  the 
pillar.  Or,  Heb.  '  by  the  oak  of  the 
pillar.'  The  allusion  is  perhaps  to 
the  oak  or  oak-grove  near  which 
Joshua  erected  a  pillar,  as  a  witness 
of  the  covenant  rencM-ed  between 
God  and  Israel,  Josh.  24. 26.  Schmid 
however  maintains  that  the  original 
^2273  never  signifies  a  '  pillar'  or 
'statue,'  but  properly  a  mound,  or 
artificial  heap,  and  supposes  that  the 
Shechemites  raised  up  some  lofty 
elevation,  on  the  summit  of  which 
the  ceremony  of  Abimelech's  coro- 
nation was  performed,  in  order  to 
render  the  whole  visible  to  a  greater 
multitude.  This  structure  he  sup- 
poses, moreover,  was  situated  on  a 
plain  near  a  certain  well-known  oak, 
which  in  memory  of  the  transaction 
was  thenceforward  called  '  the  oak 
of  the  rising  heap ;'  just  as  Deborah's 
'  palm-tree,'  ch  4.  6,  was  so  called 
from  her  having  made  it  a  seat  of 
justice.  This  view  of  the  subject 
we  are  inclined  to  adopt. 

7.  Stood  in  the  top  of  mount  Geri- 
zim. A  mountain  in  the  im,mediate 
vicinity  of  Shechem,  of  which,  see 
Deut.  27.  12.  Josephus  says,  that 
he  availed  himself  of  the  occasion 
of  a  public  festival,  when  great  mul- 
titudes Oi  the  people  were  assembled 
together  at  the  place  specified,  but 


up  his  voice,  and  cried,  and  said 
unto  them,  Hearken  unto  me,  ye 
men  of  Shechem,  that  God  may 
hearken  unto  you. 

8   ''The  trees  went  forth  on  a 
time  to  anoint  a  king  over  them  . 

k  St;e  2  Kings  H   9. 


still  implying  that  the  incident  oc- 
curred some  time  after  the  above- 
mentioned  inauguration  of  Abime- 
lech  as  king.  But  to  us  it  appears 
more  probable  that  Jotham's  address 
was  delivered  on  the  very  same  oc- 
casion with  the  former  event,  or  at 
least  before  the  people  had  dispers- 
ed from  that  convention.  The  place 
was  the  same,  and  from  the  lan- 
guage V.  18,  19,  'ye  have  risen  up 
this  day,'  we  should  naturally  infer 
that  the  time  was  the  same.  Jotham's 
abrupt  departure  also  after  deliver- 
ing the  parable,  leads  us  to  the  same 
conclusion.  He  would  of  course 
entertain  fears  of  his  personal  safely 
in  the  midst  of  a  body  of  excited  ad- 
herents of  his  brother,  at  the  very 
time  when  their  enthusiasm  was 
wrought  up  to  the  highest  pitch,  and 
after  uttering  his  message  would  be 
likely  to  make  good  his  retreat  as 
speedily  as  possible.  At  another 
time,  there  would  have  been  less  oc- 
casion for  so  much  haste.  IT  Hear- 
ken  unto  me — that  God  may  hearken 
unto  you.  Employing,  in  this  mode 
ofsum.moning  their  attention,  a  kind 
of  adjuration,  which  would  be  un- 
derstood to  signify  that  he  spoke  on 
this  occasion  by  divine  inspiration, 
and  had  a  special  message  from  God 
to  deliver  to  them. 

8.  The  trees  went  forth,  &c.  Heb. 
'going,  went  forth;'  an  emphatic 
phrase,  intimating  the  entire  unani- 
mity and  heartiness  with  which  they 
entered  upon  the  measure.  We 
have  in  this  address  of  Jotham  the 
oldest,  and  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
parables  in  existence.  It  is  the  na- 
ture of  a  parable  or  fable  to  give 
'  tongues  to  trees,'  and  intelligence, 
life,  and  activity  to  all  parts  of  the 
animate  and  maniraate  creation. 
The  truth  of  such  a  parable  lies  in. 


284 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1209. 


and  they  said^  unto  the  olive-tree, 
iReign  thou  over  us. 


the  instruction  conveyed  in-  it,  and 
the  feigned  circumstances  being 
known  to  be  such,  are  no  ways  in- 
consistent Math  veracity,  but  greatly 
subserve  the  cause  of  truth.  The 
peculiar  excellence  of  this  mode  of 
instruction  is,  that  it  arrests  the  at- 
tention more  forcibly,  and  conveys- 
knowledge  more  easily,  than  a  train 
of  reasoning  could  do;,  and  convin- 
ces the  judgment  before  prejudice 
has  had  time  to  bar  the  entrance  of 
truth  into  the  mind.  Accordingly 
it  has  happened  that  in  the  East  espe- 
cially, where  the  imagination  and  the 
whole  mental  temperament  is  more 
fervid  and  glowing  than  elsewhere, 
this  veiled  form  of  instruction  has 
always  been  in  high  repute,  whether 
in  conveying  wholesome  truths  to 
the  ear  of  power,  or  inculcating  les- 
sons of  wisdom  and  justice  and  duty 
upon  the  obtuse  and  unreasoning 
multitude.  Mr.  Roberts  remarks 
that,  '  The  people  of  the  East  are  ex- 
ceedingly addicted  to  apologues,  and 
use  them  to  convey  instruction  or 
reproof,  which  with  them  could 
scarcely  be  done  so  well  in  any  other 
way.  Has  a  man  been  told  a  secret, 
he  says,  in  repeating  it,  for  instance, 
'  A  tree  told  me  this  morning,  that 
Kandan  offered  a  large  bribe  to  the 
Modeliar,  to  get  Muttoo  turned  out 
of  his  situation.'  Does  a  man  of 
low  caste  wish  to  unite  his  son  in 
marriage  to  the  daughter  of  one  who 
is  high,  the  latter  will  say,  ^Have 
you  heard  that  the  pumpkin  wants 
to  be  married  to  the  plantain  tree  V 
Is  a  wife  sterile,  '  The  cocoa-nut 
tree  in  Viraver's  garden  does  not 
bear  any  fruit.'  Has  a  woman  had 
children  by  improper  intercourse,  it 
is  said  of  her  husband's  garden, '  Ah, 
the  palmirah-trees  are  now  giving 
cocoa-nuts.'  Has  a  man  given  his 
daughter  in  marriage  to  another 
who  uses  her  unkindly,  he  says,  '  I 
have  planted  the  sugar-cane  by  the 
side  of  the  margossa  (bitter)  tree.' 


9^  But  the  olive-tree  said  unto 
them,  Should  1  leave  my  tatness. 


A  short  fable,  together  with  its 
'  moral,'  is  more  easily  remembered 
than  a  labored  argument  or  the  same 
truth  expressed  in  abstract  terms, 
and  hence  it  is  that  we  find  this  ve- 
hicle of  instruction  so  frequently 
employed  in  the  Scriptures.  Fables 
are  there  exemplified  in  all  their  va- 
rious uses,  whether  to  reprove  kings, 
to  admonish  multitudes,  or  to  in- 
struct disciples.  Our  Lord  himself 
did  not  disdain  to  employ  them. 
They  are  all  perfect  of  their  kind; 
nearly  all  of  them  are  very  short ,- 
and  in  most  instances,  as  in  that  now 
before  us,  the  application  is  made  by 
the  speaker.  The  general  moral  of 
Jotham's  parable  is,  (1)  That  weak 
and  worthless  men  are  ever  forward 
to-thrust  themselves  into  power,  while 
the  wise  and  good  are  more  prone  to 
decline  it.  (2)  That  they  who  un- 
duly affect  honor,  and  they  who  un- 
justly confer  it,  will  prove  sources  of 
misery  to  each  other.  Both  these 
points  are  most  strikingly  illustrated 
in  the  present  fable,  as  compared 
with  the  actual  results.  IT  T& 
anohit  a  king.  From  w^hich  it  ap- 
pears that  the  ceremony  of  anointing 
was  in  use  among  the  neighboring 
nations  long  before  there  w^as  any 
king  in  Israel ;  for  the  scope  of  the 
parable  makes  it  necessary  to  sup- 
pose that  this  was  done  in  imitation 
of  foreign  tribes.  As  the  Lord  was 
their  king,  there  was  no  more  occa- 
sion for  the  Israelites  setting  a  king 
over  them,  than  there  was  lor  the 
trees  to-  appoint  a  protecting  head 
over  them. 

9.  The  olive-tree  said,  Slc.  As  the 
bramble  was  the  meanest  and  most 
worthless  of  alt  the  trees  of  the  field, 
or  forest,  so  the  olive  was  the  most 
useful.  This  tree,  naturalists  ob- 
serve, seems  to  have  been  originally 
a  native  of  Asia,  whence  it  was 
transplanted  into  Egypt  and  Barbary 
and  the  south  of  Europe.  The  wood 
is  hard-grained  and  heavy,  and  not 


A.  C.  1209.] 


CHAPTER  IX. 


285 


"wherewith  by  me  they  honor 
God  anil  nian,  and  go  to  be  pro- 
moted over  the  trees  ? 

10  And  the  trees  said  to  the 
fig-tree,  Come  thou,  and  reign 
over  us. 

11  But  the  fig-tree  said  unto 
them.  Should  I  forsake  my  sweet- 
ness, and    my  good    fruit,    and 

111  Ps.  104.    5. 


liable  to  be  injured  by  insects.  Its 
color  is  3^ellowish,  veined,  and  of  an 
agreeable  odor,  while  its  texture  ren- 
ders it  susceptible  of  a  fine  polish. 
The  appearance  of  the  olive-tree  is 
not  unlike  that  of  our  willows,  as  the 
leaves  are. lance-shaped,  or  narrow, 
and  hoar)-.  The  fruit  when  ripe  is 
like  a  damson  to  the  eye,  with  a  soft 
oleaginous  pulp,  and  a  hard  nut  in 
the  centre.  In  some  parts  of  France 
the  inhabitants  eat  the  berries  of  the 
olive  with  their  bread,  and  find  tliem 
an  agreeable  and  wholesome  condi- 
ment. The  oljve,  in  general,  re- 
quires a  little  preparation  in  brine  or 
hot  water  to  dissipate  the  bitter  prin- 
ciple which  it  contains,  though  a 
variei}',  which  is  very  uncommon  in 
France,  is  so  sweet  that  it  may  be 
eaten  at  once.  It  is  probable  that 
the  olives  of  Judea,  when  in  its  pros- 
perity, were  of  this  character,  and 
formed  to  the  inhabitants  a  pleasant 
accompaniment  to  the  more  substan- 
tial articles  of  their  daily  food.  The 
oil  of  the  olive  is  pre-eminent  among 
vegetable  oils,  and  has  not  only  al- 
ways had  an  extensive  use  in  culi- 
nary purposes,  but  formed  the  men- 
struum or  vehicle  of  the  most  cele- 
brated perfumes.  H  Should  I 
Leave  my  fatness.  The  form  of  the 
original  is  peculiar,  being  apparently 
so  compounded  as  to  convey  at  once 
both  an  active  and  passive  sense  ; — 
*  Shall  be  persuaded  to  make  to  cease 
(i.  e.  to  foiego)  my  fatness  1' — cov- 
ertly implying  that  the  assumption 
of  rank  and  authority  involves  a  re- 
linquishment of  one's  private  ease, 
advantage,  and  comfort.  H  Where- 
■mith  by  me  they  honor  God  and  man. 
25 


go   to   be    promoted    over   the 
trees? 

12  Then  said  the  trees  unto 
the  vine,  Come  thou,  and  reign 
over  us. 

13  And  the  vine  said  unto  them, 
Should  I  leave  my  wine  '^which 
cheereth  God  and  man,  and  go 
to  be  promoted  over  the  trees  ? 


There  was  a  large  use  of  olive-oil  in 
the  service  of  God.  The  priests 
were  anointed  with  it,  the  lamps  in. 
the  tabernacle  lighted  with  it,  and 
almost  all  the  offerings  of  fine  flour 
cakes  prepared  in  the  pan,  &c.,  had 
oil  mingled  with  them ;  for  which 
reason  Jotham  might  say  that '  with 
it  they  honor  God.'  Moreover  as 
priests,  prophets,  and  kings  were 
anointed  with  it,  and  their  office  was 
the  most  honorable,  he  might  ,witk 
propriety  say,  'therewith  they  hon- 
or man.'  IT  Go  to  be  yrovioted 
over  the  trees.  Marg.  '  to  go  up  and 
down  for  other  trees.'  Horsely,  '  to 
wave  or  nod  ov^r  the  trees.'  Our 
rendering  '  promoted'  comes  far 
short  of  giving  the  exact  force  of  the 
Hebrew.  The  original  word  prop- 
erly signifies  to  be  moved  to  and  fro, 
to  wander^  to  stagger,  to  be  shaken 
and  tossed.  This  interpretation, 
gives  a  more  lively  image  of  the 
perils,  cares,  and  vicissitudes  of 
government,  especially  among  a  tur- 
bulent and  retractory  people. 

II.  Should  I  forsake  my  sweetness. 
The  fruit  of  the  fig-tree  is  the  sweet- 
est or  most  luscious  of  all  fruits.  A 
full  ripe  fig,  in  its  own  climate,  has 
an  indescribable  sweetness ;  so  much 
so,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  eat 
them,  till  a  considerable  time  after 
they  are  gathered  from  the  trees,  and 
have  gone  through  an  artificial  pre- 
paration. 

13.  Which  cheereth  God  and  man. 
Not  that  God  and  man  are  cheered 
by  the  use  of  wine  in  the  same  way  ; 
but  as  it  was  employed  in  the  sacri- 
fices and  offerings  made  to  God,  it 
might  in  that  sense  be  said  that  he 


286 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1209. 


]  4  Then  said  all  the  trees  unto 
the  bramble,  Come  thou,  and 
reign  over  us. 

15  And  the  bramble  said  unto 
the  trees,  If  in  truth  ye  anoint 
me  king  over  you,  tken  come 
and  put  your  trust  in  my  °sha- 


was  '  cheered'  by  it,  because  when 
thus  offered  he  was  graciously  pleas- 
ed to  accept  of  it. 

14.  Theti  said  all  the  trees  v/nto  the 
bramble.  Come  thou,  and  reign  over 
us.  The  meanest  and  most  worth- 
less of  trees,  and  fit  only  to  be  burn- 
ed, though  capable  of  annoy auce 
from  being  armed  with  prickiy 
spikes.  The  original  -;':2b*  atad^ 
translated  '  thorns'  in  Ps.  58.  9,  and 
rendered  rhamnus  in  the  Vulgate,  is 
supposed  to  have  been  a  species  of 
buckthorn,  a  native  of  Syria  and 
Palestine,  whence  it  migrated  into 
Europe  in  the  reign  of  Augustus 
Caesar.  Many  of  the  buckthorn  fa- 
mily are  remarkable  for  the  length 
and  abundance  of  their  spines,  and 
for  the  very  combustible  nature  of 
their  wood,  which  probably  suggest- 
ed the  idea  of  the  '  fire'  that  was  to 
come  forth  and  consume  the  disaf- 
fected. It  is  a  proper  emblem  of  a 
base-born,  impious,  cruel,  and  op- 
pressive king. 

15.  If  in  truth  ye  anoint  me,  &c. 
That  the  bramble  here  represents 
Abimelech,  chosen  and  anointed 
king  by  the  Shechemites,  is  the  gen- 
eral opinion  of  commentators,  both 
Christian  and  Jewish  ;  and  thus  far 
undoubiedly  the  opinion  is  correct. 
But  when  it  is  supposed,  that  the 
■words  spoken  by  the  bramble  repre- 
sent similar  words  actually  spoken 
by  Abimelech,  it  may  be  questioned 
whether  they  have  hit  the  true  scope 
of  the  passage.  The  real  import  of 
the  bramble's  reply  seems  to  be,  not 
to  represent  what  Abimelech  actuM- 
ly  said,  but  xvhat  he  justly  might  have 
said  in  a  spirit  of  prophecy,  to  the 
men  of  Shechcm,  intent  upon  his 
elevation  to  the  throne.     The  bram- 


dow :  and  if  not,  Plet  fire  come 
out  of  the  bramble,  and  devour 
the  ''cedars  of  Lebanon. 

16  Now  therefore,  if  ye  have 
done  truly  and  sincerely?  in  that 
ye  have  made  Abimelech  king, 
and  if  ye   have  dealt  well  with 

p  ver.  20.      Num.  21.  --8.    Kzek.  19.  14.      q  2  Kings 
U.  9     Ps.  im.  16.    1=.  2.  13.  &  37.  24.     Kze  .  31.  3. 


ble  in  answer  to  the  proposal,  does 
not  decline,  but  accepts,  the  offered 
honor,  but  yet  in  the  very  terms  of 
the  acceptance,  moved  by  a  prophe- 
tic impulse,  utters  a  prediction  re- 
specting the  event,  implying  that  so 
far  as  this  measure  was  not  adopted 
in  truth,  i.  e.  rightly,  properly,  ac- 
ceptably, it  M'Ould  be  attended  with 
disastrous  consequences,  and  the 
bramble,  as  an  unjust  usurper  over 
the  rest  of  the  trees,  would  be  con- 
sumed by  a  fire  that  should  spread 
and  involve  in  its  ravages  the  lofty 
cedars  of  Lebanon.  This  was  pre- 
cisely what  Abimelech  should  have 
said  to  the  men  of  Shechem,  although 
in  point  of  fact,  he  seems  to  have 
been  so  confident  of  success  and  a 
favorable  result,  that  nothing  was 
farther  from  his  thoughts.  The 
whole  drift  of  the  passage  turns  up- 
on the  true  meaning  of  the  phrase 
*  in  truth,'  which  is  not  here  opposed 
to  falsehood,  duplicity,  fraud,  and 
mockery,  but  to  conduct,  which  is 
wrong,  improper,  not  founded  in 
views  of  duty  and  obedience.  Con- 
sequently the  words  that  follow,  'lef 
fire  come  out,'  &c.,  ought  rather  to 
be  rendered,  '  fire  shall  come  out,' 
&c.,  as  they  are  merely  a  prediction 
of  the  result  that  would  ensue,  pro- 
vided their  motives  had  not  been 
right  in  what  they  had  done.  Jo- 
tham's  application  in  the  ensuing 
verses  clearly  confirms  this  inter- 
pretation. U  Let  fire  come  out  of 
the  bramble,  &c.  Understood  as  a 
prophecy,  the  meaning  is,  that  the 
man  represented  by  the  bramble  will 
be  a  source  of  plagues  and  judgments 
to  the  'cedars  of  Lebanon,' i.  e.  to 
the  most  eminent  persons  of  the 
land,  particularly  of  Shechem;    a 


A.  C.  1209.] 


CHAPTER  IX. 


287 


Jerubbaal  and  his  house,  and 
have  done  unto  him  "^according 
to  the  deservinfT  of  his  hands  : 

17  (For  my  father  fought  for 
you,  and  adventured  his  hfe  far, 
and  dehvered  you  out  of  the 
hand  of  Midian  : 

18  ^ And  ye  are  risen  up 
against  my  father's  house  this 
day,  and  have  slain  his  sons, 
threescore  and  ten  persons,  upon 
one  stone,  and  have  made  Abi- 
melech,  the  son  of  his  maid-ser- 


prediction  which  the  sequel  shows 
to  have  been  remarkably  fulfilled. 

16.  If  ye  have  done  truly  and  sin- 
cerely. Properly  rendered  by  the 
Vulgate,  '  If  ye  have  acted  well  and 
and  without  sin  in  appointing,'  &c. 
The  phrase  isexegetical  of '  in  truth' 
in  the  preceding  verse.  The  same 
expression  occurs  Josh.  24.  14. 

17.  Adventured  his  life  far.  Heb. 
'cast  his  life  from  over  against  you.' 
A  metaphorical  expression,  highly 
significant,  and  requiring  us  to  con- 
ceive that  Gideon  while  occupying 
a  place  of  safety,  with  his  life  un- 
jeoparded,  heroically  resolves  to 
throw  it.,  as  one  would  cast  a  spear, 
directly  towards  the  enemy,  into  the 
very  midst  of  peril.  This  he  did 
when  he  fell  with  only  three  hundred 
men  upon  the  multitudinous  hosts  of 
the  Midianites,  Comp.  ch.  5.  18, 
and  12.  3. 

18.  Have  slain  his  sons.  The  mur- 
derous deed  perpetrated  by  Abime- 
lech  is  here  charged  upon  the  men 
of  Shechem,  on  the  ground  of  their 
having  consented  to  it,  approved  of 
it,  and  probably  assisted  in  it.  Par- 
ticipators in  crime  justly  share  the 
guilt  of  the  principals.  TI  Son  of  his 
maid-servant.  His  concubine  ;  so 
called  here  by  way  of  disparagement 
and  reproach.  Maid-servants,  how- 
ever, were  often  adopted  as  concu- 
bines, Ex.  21,  7—10.  !l  Because  he 
is  your  brother.  Not  because  he  is 
the  son  of  Gideon,  or  for  any  intrin- 


vant,  king  over  the  men  of  She- 
chem, because  he  is  your  bro- 
ther :) 

19  If  ye  then  have  dealt  truly 
and  sincerely  with  Jerubbaal 
and  with  his  house  this  day,  then 
t rejoice  ye  in  Abiraelech,  and 
let  him  also  rejoice  in  you  : 

20  But  if  not,  "let  fire  come 
out  from  Abimelech,  and  devour 
the  men  of  Shechem,  and  the 
house  of  Millo  ;  and  let  fire 
come  out  from  the  men  of  She- 


sic  worth  in  himself,  but  simply  from 
his  bearing  a  relation  to  you,  which 
you  hope  to  turn  to  your  advantage. 

19,  If  ye  have  dealt  truly  and  sin- 
cerely— t'hc7i  rejoice  yc,&.c.  He  there- 
fore "leaves  it  to  the  ev^ent,  that  is,  to 
the  providence  of  God,  to  determine 
whether  they  had  done  well  or  ill  in 
their  choice  ;  q.  d.  '  if  your  conduct 
towards  the  house  of  Gideon  can  be 
justified  at  any  bar  of  justice,  honor, 
or  conscience,  then  much  good  may 
you  have  of  your  king ,  but  if  you 
have  dealt  basely  and  wickedly  in 
this  matter,  then  never  expect  to 
prosper.' 

20.  Let  fire  come  out,  &c.  Or, 
Heb.  '  fire  shall  come  out.'  Noc 
barely  a  prediction,  but  also  an  im- 
precation or  curse,  as  it  is  expressly 
called  V.  57.  As  the  thorn  or  bram- 
ble may  be  the  means  of  kindling- 
other  wood,  because  it  may  be  easily 
ignited ;  so  shall  Abimelech  be  the 
cause  of  kindling  a  fire  of  civil  dis- 
cord among  you,  that  shall  consume 
the  rulers  and  great  men  of  your 
country.  The  denunciations  of  pro- 
phets and  good  men,  uttered  under 
divine  prompting,  were  often  clothed 
with  an  efficiency  which  laid  a  foun- 
dation for  the  character  given  of 
them  in  what  is  said  of  the  two  wit- 
nesses Rev.  11.  5,  6, '  And  if  any  man 
will  hurt  them,  fire  proceedeth  out 
of  their  mouth,  and  devoureth  their 
enemies.  These  have  power  to  shut 
heaveUj  that  it  rain  not,  in  the  days 


288 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1206. 


chem,    and  from   the   house    of 
Millo,  and  devour  Abimelech. 

21  And  Jutham  ran  away, 
and  fli'd,  and  went  to  ''Beer,  and 
dwelt  there,  for  fear  of  Abime- 
lech  his  brother. 

22  H  When  Abimelech  had 
reigned' three  ye.jrs  over  Israel, 


of  their  prophecy;  and  have  power 
— to  smite  the  earth  with  all  plagues, 
as  often  as  they  will.' 

21.  Ran  aioay  and  fled  and  v:ent. 
This  accumulation  of  equivalent  ex- 
pressions denotes  the  great  haste  with 
which  Jotham  made  his  escape ; 
confirming  the  view  given  above,  v. 
7,  of  the  time  when  this  address  was 
delivered.  U  To  Beer.  Beer  sig- 
nifies a  loell^  and  is  prefixed  to  the 
names  of  many  places  mentioned  in 
Scripture,  from  water  being  found 
in  their  vicinity.  The  place  here 
designated  seems  to  have  been  a  city 
of  the  Gibeonites,  Josh.  9.  17,  within 
the  boundary  of  the  tribe  of  Benja- 
min. It  was  situated  about  ten  miles 
north  of  Jerusalem,  and  not  far  from 
Gibeah.  Eusebius  takes  notice  of 
this  place  as  being  a  considerable 
village  in  his  time;  and  Maundrell  i 
informs  us  that  the  modern  village  . 
stands  in  a  pleasant  situation  on  an 
edge  of  the  hill,  with  a  gentle  decliv- 
ity to  the  south.  At  the  foot  of  the 
hill  there  is  an  excellent  spring  of' 
water,  which  may  have  given  it  its 
came,  and  above  it  are  the  remains  j 
cf  an  old  church  built  by  the  empress  j 
Helena.  j 

22.  When  Abhnelech  had  reigned  \ 
three  yrars  over  Israel.  Here  again  j 
the  original  for  '  reigned'  (m'j::)  is  a  j 
word  properly  signifying  to  exercise  : 
despotic  sway,  a  species  of  rule  en-  j 
rirely  different  from  the  m.ild  and  ' 
gentle  ascendancy  indicated  by  the 
lerm'jS'u  tojudoe.  The  legitimate  j 
rulers  of  Israel  at  this  time  could  , 
never  be  termed  ^^-^y^^priyices,  unless  ■ 
in  conseqtience  of  the  usurpation  ofi 


23  Then  >'God  sent  an  evil 
spirit  between  Abimelech  and 
the  men  of  Shechem  ;  and  the 
men  of  Shechem  ^dealt  treach- 
erously with  Abinelech  : 

24  ^That  the  cruelty  done  to 
the  threescore  and  ten  sons  of 
Jerubbaal  might  come,  and  their 

y  1  Sam.  Vy.  11    &  18.  9. 10.  See  I  Kiii«  12.  15.  & 

22.  VZ      2Lhr.  10.  15.     &     18  19,  &c.       K.    9. 2,  14. 

7.  Is  33  1         «  1  Kings  2.  3:2.  £ah.  9  25      Ps.  7   16. 
Mdit.  23.  35,  36. 

a  power  which  the  primitive  struc- 
ture of  their  government  did  not 
allow.  It  is  probable  that  Abime- 
lech's  authority  did  not  at  first  ex- 
tend beyond  the  city  of  Shechem, 
which  had  appointed  him  king. 
But  by  gradual  encroachments  he 
seems  to  have  extended  his  sway 
ov'er  some  of  the  adjacent  towns  and 
territories,  compelling  them  to  ac- 
knowledge his  power,  as  we  find 
him,  V.  50,  going  against  Thebez,  in 
the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  as  a  rebellious 
city  that  seems  to  have  refused  sub- 
jection to  him.  By  the  phrase 
'  reigned  over  Israel,'  we  are  doubt- 
less to  understand  a  part  of  Israel, 
i.  e.  such  tribes  as  submitted  to  him, 
23.  God  sent  an  evil  spirit.  That 
is,  permitted  the  evil  spirit  of  dis- 
cord and  treachery  to  break  out. 
Under  the  direction  of  providence, 
but  not  in  consequence  of  any  posi- 
tive agency,  jealousies  M'ere  suffered 
to  arise,  which  produced  factions, 
and  these  factions  in"  their  turn  pro- 
duced insurrections,  civil  conten- 
tions, and  bloodshed.  Comp  1 
Kings  22.  23.  Ps.  78.  49.  The 
throne  of  violence  never  stands  se- 
cure. The  blood  upon  which  it  has 
been  established  seldom  fails  to  un- 
dermine it  at  last.  IT  Dealt  treach- 
erously. The  original  properly  im- 
plies faithlessness,  or  the  being  want- 
ing to  one's  engagements,  and  is  es- 
pecially applied,  Jer.  3.  20,  to  con- 
jugal infidelity.  The  Shechemites  ' 
brake  their  covenant  with  Abimelech 
and  shook  off  his  yoke,  but  how  far 
they  were  chargeable  in  this  with  a 
moral  delinquency  in  the  sight   of 


A.  C.  1206.] 


CHAPTER  IX. 


289 


blood  be  laid  upon  Abimelech 
their  brother  which  slew  them, 
and  upon  the  men  of  Shechem 
which  aided  him  in  the  killing 
of  his  brethren. 

25  And  the  men  of  Shechem 
set  Hers,  in  wait  for  him  in  the 
top  of  the  mountains,  and  they 
robb  d  all  that  came  along  that 

God  we  pretend  not  to  say.  The 
word  perhaps  in  this  connection  does 
not  carry  any  such  implication  with 
it. 

24.  Thai  the  cruelly,  &c.  That  is, 
the  just  rev^enge  of  that  cruelty;  in- 
dicating the  end,  the  scope,  of  the 
sovereign  permission  mentioned  in 
the  preceding  verse.  Sooner  or 
later  the  justice  of  God  will  make  in- 
quisition for  blood,  especially  the 
blood  of  the  innocent.  IT  Wkic/i 
aided  him.  Heb.  'which  strength- 
ened his  hands.' 

25.  Sel  Hers  in  toait.  The  writer 
now  goes  on  to  state  in  what  manner 
the  evil  spirit  of  dissension  before 
spoken  of  began  to  produce  its  legi- 
timate effects.  The  disaffection 
which  had  been  some  time  growing 
in  secret  at  length  taking  advantage 
of  Abimelech's  temporary  absence 
from  Shechem,  assumed  the  charac- 
ter of  open  revolt,  and  a  conspiracy 
was  formed  to  make  a  prisoner  of 
him  whom  they  had  lately  hailed  as 
prince.  God  is  often  pleased  to  pun- 
ish bid  men  by  the  very  persons  who 
have  contributed  to  their  elevation, 
thus  chastising  them  with  the  rods 
which  they  themselves  have  gather- 
ed. II  Robbed  all  Ihat  came  along 
that  way  Disappointed  and  impa- 
tient probably  by  reason  of  Abime- 
lech's delay  in  returning,  those  who 
were  posted  in  ambu  h  were  prompt- 
ed to  enact  upon  others  the  violence 
intended  for  him,  and  more  especi- 
ally, we  may  suppose,  upon  such  of 
his  known  adherents  as  chanced  to 
pass  that  way. 

26.  And   Gaal    the    son    of    Ebcd 
came,  &c.     The  mention  of  this  per- 
son is  somewhat  abruptly  introduced, 
25* 


way  by  them  :  and  it  was  told 
Abimelech. 

26  And  Gaal  the  son  of  Ebed 
came  with  his  brethren,  and 
went  over  to  Shechem  :  and  the 
men  of  Shechem  put  their  con- 
fidence in  him. 

27  And  they  went  out  into 
the    fields,    and    gathered   their 


and  we  know  no  more  of  him  tlian 
is  here  stated.  It  has  been  conjec- 
tured that  he  was  a  native  Canaanite 
from  his  courting  the  Shechemiies 
into  sabjection  to  the  men  of  Hamor, 
who  was  anciently,  in  the  days  of 
Jacob,  lord  of  this  city.  However 
this  may  be,  there  is  little  doubt  that 
he  was  a  man  of  rank  and  influence, 
who  had  once  been  a  citizen  of  She- 
chem, but  for  reasons  unknown  had 
ceased  for  a  time  to  be  a  resident 
there.  Being  however  of  a  bold, 
aspiring,  ambitious  character,  and 
finding  the  troubled  stale  of  the  city 
propitious  to  his  designs,  he  returns 
accompanied  with  a  strong  party  of 
relatives,  and  begins  plotting  at  once 
to  put  himself  at  the  head  of  affairs. 
IT  Went  over  to  Shechem.  Or,  Heb. 
'  passed  by  into  Shechem.'  That  is, 
probably,  passed  by  the  liers  in  wait. 
Knowing  them  to  l3e  a  party  hostile 
to  Abimelech  and  favorable  to  their 
own  views,  they  sutTered  them  to 
pass  without  molestation.  It  is  not 
unlikely  that  Gaal  had  been  previ- 
ously in  correspondence  with  the 
disaffected  part  of  the  Shechemites, 
and  was  fully  advised  of  the  state  of 
things  in  the  city.  IT  Put  their 
confidence  in  him.  So  as  to  make 
him  head  of  the  faction  which  had 
been  organizing  against  Abimelech, 
but  which  hitherto  had  lacked  a  suit- 
able leader.  Vulg. 'at  whose  com- 
ing the  inhabitants  of  Shechem  took 
courage.' 

27.  And  they  vmit  cut,  &c.  Or, 
Heb.  'and  when  they  had  gone  out, 
&c. — then  they  made  merry.'  The 
original  for  '  making  merry'  is  prop- 
erly '  making  songs,  or  making 
praises,'  and,  refers  to  the  custona 


290 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1206. 


vineyards,  and  trode  the  grapes, 
and  made  merry,  and  went  into 
"the  house  of  their  god,  and  did 
eat  and  drink,  and  cursed  Abi- 
melech. 

28  And  Gaal  the  son  ofEbed 
said,  "^Who  is  Abimelech,  and 
who  is  Shechem,  that  we  should 
serve  him  ?  is  not  he  the  son  of 
Jerubbaul  ?  and  Zebul  his  offi- 

b  ver   4.  c  I  Sam.  '-5. 10.      I  Kings  1*2   1'^. 

celebrating  the  harvest  of  vintage 
with  songs  of  rejoicing  and  other  fes- 
tivities; of  which  see  Lev.  19.  24. 
Is.  16.  9,  10.  Jer.  25.  30.  nr  Went 
into  the  house  of  their  god,  &c.  In 
imitation  of  the  worshippers  of  the 
true  God,  who  resorted  to  the  sanc- 
tuary on  such  occasions.  IT  Cursed 
Abivielech.  Loading  his  name  with 
the  foulest  reproaches  and  revilings, 
and  perhaps  calling  upon  their  god 
to  raiity  their  imprecations.  The 
excitement  occasioned  by  wine  in 
scenes  of  mirth  and  banqueting  natu- 
rally prepares  men  for  murders,  trea- 
son, and  every  evil  work. 

28.  }Vho  is  Abivielech,  and  who  is 
SlUckcm?  That  is,  the  Shcchemites. 
Compare  them  together,  put  this 
base-born,  worth les.s  usurper  by  the 
side  of  us  native  Shechemites,  and 
what  reason  can  be  assigned  for  our 
subjection  to  him  1  IT  Is  he  not  the 
son  of  Jerubbaal  7  Spoken  by  way  of 
disparagement  and  contempt,  as  if 
despising  his  memory  and  prompted 
by  an  indignant  recollection  of  the 
act  on  which  his  name  was  founded, 
viz.  his  throwing  down  the  altar  of 
Baal.  Thus  do  inen  of  turbulent 
and  ambitious  spirits  '  despise  domin- 
ions, and  speak  evil  of  dignities,'  and 
thus  are  the  most  valuable  services 
of  the  best  of  men  requited  by  the 
vile  and  worthless.  IT  And  'Zebul 
his  officer?  Heb.  'his  overseer;' 
prob  b!y  made  governor  of  Shechem 
by  Abimelech  in  his  absence.  Are 
you  so  mean-spirited  and  cowardly 
tiiat  you  not  only  submit  to  the 
tyrant  himself,  but  suffer  his  very 
servants  to  lord  it  over  you,  and  par- 


cer  ?  serve  the  men  of'^Hnmor 
tlie  father  of  Shechem  :  for  why 
should  we  serve  him  ? 

29  And  "^vvculd  to  God  tin's 
people  were  under  my  hand  ! 
then  would  I  remove  Abimel- 
ech. And  he  said  to  Abimelech, 
Increase  thine  army,  and  come 
out. 

30  H  And  when  Zebul  the  ru- 


ticularly  this  contemptible  Zebul  1 
^  Serve  the  men  of  Havior.  The  des- 
cendants of  Hamor.  If  ye  will  be  in 
subjection,  call  some  one  to  author- 
ity who  is  descended  from  the  an- 
cient and  legitimate  stock  of  She- 
chem, instead  of  this  ignoble  alien 
despot.  This  was  perhaps  a  virtual 
challenge  to  them  to  fix  their  choice 
upon  himself,  as  deriving  his  origin 
from  this  source.  This  is  confirm- 
ed by  what  follows.  IT  The  father 
of  Shechem.  The  father  or  founder 
of  the  city  and  the  race  of  the  She- 
chemites; the  name  of  an  individual 
standing  for  the  whole  people. 

29.  Would  to  God  this  people  were 
under  my  hand  I  An  exclamation 
disclosing  the  hidden  source  which 
usually  prompts  the  complaints  of 
artful  deinagojjues  against  the  exist- 
ing order  of  things,  and  their  large 
professions  of  concern  for  the  public 
welfare ;  though  seldom  so  frankly 
declared  as  in  the  present  instance. 
His  words  clearly  evince  that  his 
real  object  was  not  so  much  to 
recover  the  liberties  of  his  country- 
men, as  to  persuade  them  to  a  change 
of  rulers.  It  is  not  easy  to  set  bounds 
to  the  mischief  that  may  be  effected 
by  an  artful  leader  working  upon  the 
minds  of  an  inflamed  populace.  IT 
Then  would  I  remove  Abimelech. 
Would  speedily  remove,  dispatch,  or 
make  way ;  with  an  emplntic  expres- 
sion, implying  more  in  Hebrew  than 
in  English.  fT  He  said  to  Abime- 
lech, Increase  thine  army,  &c.  As 
we  have  no  evidence  that" Abimelech 
was  within  hearing  of  these  words, 
the  probability  is,  that  being  heated 


A.  C.  1206.] 


CHAPTER  IX. 


291 


ler  of  the  city  heard  the  words 
of  Gaal  the  son  of  Ebed,  his  an- 
ger was  kindled. 

31  And  he  sent  messengers 
unto  Abimelech  privily,  saying, 
Behold,  Gaal  the  son  of  Ebed, 
and  his  brethren,  bo  come  to 
Shechcm  ;  and  behold,  they  for- 
tify the  city  against  thee. 

32  Now  therefore  up  by  night, 
thou,  and  the  people  that  is  with 

with  wine  and  puffed  up  with  arro- 
gance, Gaal  addresses  and  defies 
him,  in  this  bravado  style,  as  though 
actually  present.  Yet  it  may  be, 
that  he  sent  word  by  some  of  Abim- 
elech's  friends  to  their  master,  that 
he  was  willing  to  dispute  the  point 
with  him,  allowing  him  at  the  same 
time  every  advantage  on  the  score  of 
numbers  which  he  could  desire. 
Let  him  gather  all  his  allies,  and  do 
his  worst,  still  he  would  find  the  son 
of  Ebed  more  than  a  match  for  him. 

30  His  anger  was  kindled.  How- 
ever he  might  have  felt  for  his  masr 
ter's  honor,  it  was  scarcely  to  be  ex- 
pected that  he  should  pass  by  the  in- 
sult cast  upon  himself  It  would 
seem,  v.  36,  that  from  motives  of  po- 
licy he  had  hitherto  temporized  with 
the  disaffected  party  at  Shechem,  but 
he  now  becomes  decided,  though  he 
is  still  restrained  from  open  mea- 
sures against  the  insurgents. 

31.  Sent  messengers — privily.  Heb. 
'  craftily,  in  fraud.'  That  "is,  the 
pretended  object  of  his  sending  them 
did  not  correspond  with  his  real  ob- 
ject. His  '  givings  out'  were  far  re- 
moved from  his  '  true-meant  de- 
signs.' If  he  had  discovered  himself 
to  b'^'  wholly  for  Abimelech,  the  men 
of  the  city  might  at  once  have  risen 
against  him  and  put  him  to  death. 
He  therefore  goes  warily  to  work  to 
acquaint  Abimelech  with  the  ene- 
mies' designs,  and  to  put  him  in  a 
way  to  revenge  the  insults  cast  up- 
on them  both.  IT  They  fortify  the 
city  aoaiiist  thee.  Heb.  D'^iv  ^''^  be- 
sieging, from  the  root  -njj  to  besiege^ 


thee,  and  lie  in  wait  in  the  field  : 

33  And  it  shall  be,  that  in  the 
morning,  as  soon  as  the  sun  is 
up,  thou  shalt  ri.se  early,  and 
set  upon  the  city  :  and  behold, 
when  he  and  the  people  that  is 
with  him  come  out  against  thee, 
then  mayest  thou  do  to  them  as 
thou  shalt  find  occasion. 

34  IT  And  Abimelech  rose  up, 
and   all    the    people    that   were 


to  press  vntk  siege ^  usually  spoken  of 
hostile  operations  carried  on  by  in- 
vaders from  without,  and  not  without 
great  violence  applied  to  defensive 
measures  adopted  by  those  within  a 
city  For  this  reason  the  expres- 
sion, we  suppose,  is  to  be  taken  me- 
taphorically for  the  influence  exert- 
ed by  Gaal  and  his  party  upon  the 
minds  of  the  citizens,  in  stirring  up, 
exciting,  augmenting  the  sedition 
that  was  spreading  through  the  city. 
They  were  engaged  in  pressing,  ur- 
ging, instigating  i\].e  citizens  against 
Abimelech,  and  therefore  it  was  im- 
portant for  him  to  make  haste  in  ad- 
vancing upon  Shechem. 

33.  Set  upon  the  ciiy.  We  doubt 
if  this  rendering  gives"  the  true  force 
of  the  original,  or  the  real  policy  of 
Abimelech.  He  does  not  seem  to 
have  designed,  at  least  at  present,  to 
attack  the  city  while  Gaal  was  in  it. 
He  even  abstained  from  this  after 
he  had  overcome  him  in  the  open 
field,  and  nothing  that  we  can  see 
prevented  his  pushing  his  conquest 
into  the  heart  of  Shechem,  v.  40. 
But  the  triie  import  of  the  word  is  to 
spread  one's  self,  to  expand,  and  the 
phrase  may  be  rendered,  'spread 
thyself  (thy  forces)  against  or  to- 
wards the  city,'  i.  e.  with  a  view  to 
lure  out  Gaal  to  an  engagement  in 
the  open  field.  IT  As  thou  shall  find 
occasion.  Heb.  '  as  thine  hand  shall 
find  ;'  an  Hebraism,  properly  ren- 
dered in  our  translation.  Comp.  j 
Sam.  10.  7.  where  the  same  phrase 
occurs. 

34.  Abimelech  rose  up.    Addressed 


293 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1206. 


with  him,  by  night,  and  they 
laid  wait  against  Shechem  in 
four  companies. 

35  And  Gaal  the  son  ofEbed 
went  out,  and  stood  in  the  enter- 
ing of  the  gate  of  the  city  ;  and 
Abimelech  rose  up,  and  the  peo- 
pie  that  were  with  him,  from 
lying  in  wait. 

36  And  when  Gaal  saw  the 
people,  he  said  to  Zebul,  Behold, 
there  come  people  down  from 
the  top  of  the  mountains.  And 
Zebul  said  unto  him,  Ttiou  seest 
the  shadow  of  the  mountains  as 
if  they  were  men. 

37  And  Gaal  spake  again, 
and  said,  See,  there  come  peo- 
ple down   by  the  middle  of  the 


himself  to  the  matter  before  him,  en- 
tered upon  the  business  in  hand. 
See  on  Josh.  1.2, 

35.  Laid  wait.  Probably  in  some 
of  the  mountains  in  the  immediate 
vicinity,  as  is  to  be  inferred  from  v. 
36.  H  In  four  companies.  Heb. 
'  in  four  heads ;'  a  term  applied  to 
the  crencral  divisions  of  any  thing. 

35.  Gaal  icent  out — and  stood  at 
the  entering  of  the  gate.  Probably 
not  alone,  but  at  the  head  of  his 
forces,  either  to  lead  them  forth  up- 
on some  short  excursion  about  the 
city,  or  to  be  prepared  for  whatever 
assault  might  be  meditated  against 
him.  '  Had  he  been  as  valiant  as 
he  was  vigilant,  it  might  have  gone 
better  with  him  and  his  partisans.' 
Trapp. 

46.  He  said  to  Zebul,  Behold,  &c. 
The  familiarity  existing  between 
these  two  individuals,  under  their 
present  circumstances,  shows  very 
clearly  that  Zebul  had  hitherto  dis- 
sembled his  real  sentiments  and  pur- 
poses. It  is  not  possible  otherwise 
to  account  for  such  an  interview  at 
ihis  time  between  parties  so  related. 

37.  By  the  middle  of  the  land.  Heb. 


land,  and  another  company  come 
along  by  the  plain  of  Meone- 
nim. 

38  Then  said  Zebul  unto  him 
Where  is  now  thy  mouth,  where- 
with thou  'saidst,  Who  is  Abi- 
melech, that  we  should  serve 
him  ?  is  not  this  the  people  that 
thou  hast  despised  1  go  out,  I 
pray  now,  and  fight  with  them. 

39  And  Gaal  went  out  before 
the  men  of  Shechem,  and  fought 
with  Abimelech. 

40  And  Abimelech  chased 
him,  and  he  fled  before  Idm,  and 
many  were  ovei  thrown  and 
wounded,  even  unto  the  entering 
of  the  ^^ate. 

41  And   Abimelech  dwelt  at 


'  from  the  navel  of  the  land.'  That 
is,  as  Gesenius  and  other  lexicogra- 
phers explain  it,  from  the  height,  the 
most  elevated  suvimit,  of  the  land. 
IT  B]i  the  plain  of  Meoneni7R.  Or, 
Heb.  'by  the  oak  of  the  augurers, 
or  regarders  of  times;'  probably  a 
tree  or  cluster  of  trees  where  sup- 
erstitious auguries  were  performed, 
or  where  certain  soothsayers  dM-elt. 

38.  Wliere  is  now  thy  mouth  7 
Where  is  now  thy  boasting,  thy  vain 
bravado,  of  which  thou  wert  lately 
so  profuse  1  Does  thy  courage  be- 
gin to  quail  upon  the  bare  sight  of 
the  enemy  7  In  proportion  as  Abi- 
melech approached,  Zebul  begins  to 
speak  with  more  eifrontery,  and 
throw  off  his  disguise,  though  his 
words  still  had  the  air  of  merely  ex- 
citing Gaal  to  go  forth  like  a  man 
and  redeem  the  pledge  he  had  before 
given.  Gaal  thus  had  proof  that 
those  who  are  rebels  themselves 
must  not  expect  fidelity  in  their  as- 
sociates. 

29.  And  Gaal  vjeni  out,  &c.  The 
only  becoming  answer  to  such  cut- 
ting taunts  and  sarcasms  was  to  sally 
boldly  forth  against  the  enemy.    But 


A.  C.  1206.] 


CHAPTER  IX. 


293 


Arumah  :  and  Zebul  thrust  out 
Gaul  aiul  his  brethren,  that  they 
should  not  dwell  in  Shechenn. 

42  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the 
morrow,  that  the  people  went 
out  into  the  field  ;  and  they  told 
Abimelech 

4-S  And  he  took  the  people, 
and  divided  thenn  into  three  com- 
panies, and  laid  wait  in  the  field, 
and  looked,  and  behold,  the  peo- 
ple were  come   forth  out  of  the 


the  special  hand  of  God  was  in  the 
event  for  his  punishment.  '  Where 
iniquity  breakfasts,  calamity  M'ill  be 
sure  to  dine.'     Trapp. 

41.  Abimelech  d-relt  in  Arumah 
Heb.  '  sal  down  in  Arumah.'  He 
retired  hither  for  the  present  with 
his  army,  still  cherishing  the  design 
of  gaining  tarther  advantages.  ^ 
Zebul  thrust  oiii  Gaal  and  his  bre- 
thren. These  words,  it  would  seem, 
are  not  to  be  taken  as  indicating  a 
violent  expulsion.  For  if  Zebul  and 
his  party  had  obtained  a  complete 
ascendancy  in  the  city,  why  did  they 
not  at  once  deliver  up  Gaal  and  his 
faction  to  Abimelech,  and  receive 
him  within  the  walls  '?  The  fict  nn- 
doubtedly  was,  that  notwithstanding 
the  recent  defeat,  the  crafty  Zebul 
saw  that  Abimelech's  interest  in  the 
city  was  not  strong  enough  to  justify 
him  in  completely  throwing  off  the 
the  mask,  and  he  accordingly  went 
to  work,  like  a  skilful  master  of  in- 
trigue, to  undermine  Gaal  in  the  af- 
fections of  the  people  by  hypocriti- 
cally grieving  over  the  recent  disas- 
ter, and  persuading  them  that  it  was 
owing  to  the  cowardice  and  bad 
management  of  their  leader.  This 
is  the  account  Josephus  gives  of  the 
matter,  and  we  think  the  correct  one. 
The  consequence  was,  that  Gaal 
made  an  ignominious  exit  from  the 
city,  and  we  hear  no  more  of  him. 

42.  The  people  went  out  into  the 
field.  To  follow  their  usual  employ- 
ments.     As  Abimelech  had  with- 


city ;  and  he  rose  up  against 
them,  and  smote  them. 

44  And  Abimelech,  and  the 
company  that  was  with  him, 
rushed  lorward,  and  stood  in  the 
e:  tering  of  tlie  gate  of  the  city  : 
and  the  two  other  companies  ran 
upon  all  the  people  that  were  in 
the  fi:j|ds,  and  slew  them. 

4o  And  Abimelech  fought 
against  the  city  all  that  day; 
and  ?he  took  the  citv,  and  slew 


drawn  his  forces,  they  issued  forth 
not  dreaming  but  they  were  entirely 
secure.  But  the  wrath  of  a  king 
does  not  so  easily  subside.  ^  They 
told  Abimelech.  A  Hebrew  idiom 
for  'it  was  told  to  Abimelech.' 

43.  And  he  took  the  people,  &c. 
We  prefer  to  render  this  in  the  plu- 
perfect, '  for  he  had  taken,'  &c.,  as 
it  seems  far  less  likely  that  he  should 
set  an  ambush,  while  the  people  were 
already  in  the  field,  and  could  easily 
discover  all  his  movements.  More- 
over, the  last  clause  of  the  verse  as 
read  in  the  original,  '  behold,  the 
people  coming  forth,'  plainly  shows 
that  their  egress  from  the  city  took 
place  after  the  ambush  was  laid. 

44.  A7id  Abimelech  and  the  company 
that  wos  vrith  hivi,  &c.  This  verse 
details  in  a  more  particular  manner 
the  circumstance  of  the  'sraitting' 
mentioned  above,  and  at  the  same 
time  anticipates  the  question,  why 
the  people  attacked  did  not  at  once 
betake  themselves  to  the  city.  Be- 
cause, says  the  narrative,  Abimelech 
with  a  strong  detachment  interposed 
himself  and  cut  off  the  communica- 
tion between  them  and  the  city,  that 
they  might  neither  make  their  re- 
treat within  the  walls,  nor  receive 
any  succors  from  thence.  '  When  we 
go  out  about  our  business,  we  are 
not  sure  that  we  shall  come  home 
again  ;  there  are  deaths  both  in  the 
citv  and  in  the  field.'     Henry. 

45  Took  the  city,  &c.  "Though 
the  city  of  his  nativity,  yet  he  fell 


294 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1206. 


the  people  that  was  therein,  and 
^•beat  down  the  city,  and  sowed 
it  with  salt. 

4t)  IT  And  when  all  the  men 
ofthe  tower  of  Siiechem  heard 
thaU  they  entered  into  a  hold  of 
the  house  iof  the  god  Berith. 

47  And  it  was  told  Abime- 
lech,  that  all  the  men  of  the  tow- 
er  of  Shechem  were  gathered 
together. 

48  And  Abimelech  gat  him 
up  to  mount  '-Zahnon,  he  and  all 
the  people  that  were  with  hini; 
and  Abimelech  took  an  axe  in 
his  hand,  and  cut  down  a  bough 
from  the  trees,  and  took  it,  and 
laid  it  on  his  shoulder,  and  said 

h  Deul.  29.  23-        1  Kings  12.  25.         2  Kings  3-  25. 
i  ch.  8.  33.  k  Ps   68.  14^ 

upon  it  with  merciless  barbarity, 
laid  it  in  ruins,  by  beating  down  its 
walls  and  buildings,  and  slew  all  the 
inhabitants  !  His  sowing  it  wath 
salt  was  in  token  that  he  designed  it 
to  become  a  perpetual  desolation. 
The  salt  was  not  intended  to  render 
it  barren,  for  a  town  or  city  is  not 
designed  for  culture,  but  for  build- 
ing; but  as  salt  is  an  emblem  of  in- 
corrnplion  and  perpetuity,  it  was  em- 
ployed to  perpetiiate  the  memory  of 
this  transaction.  By  comparing 
Deut.  29.  33,  it  would  appear  that 
there  was  an  allusion  in  the  act  to 
the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah. Yet  all  his  efforts  did  not 
avail  to  make  its  desolation  perma- 
nent, for  it  was  afterwads  rebuilt, 
and  became  so  considerable  a  place 
that  all  Israel  resorted  thiiher  to 
make  Rehoboam  king,  1  Kings  12.  1. 
46.  The  men  ofthe  tower  of  Shechem. 
Heb.  '  the  lords  or  masters  of  the 
tower.'  How  these  persons  are  dis- 
tinguished from  the  other  inhabi- 
tants of  Shechem,  or  how  this  tower 
stood  related  to  the  city,  it  is  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  determine.  It  is 
not  unlikely  that  it  was  a  castle  be- 
longing to  the  city  and  situated  in 


unto  the  people  that  were  with 
him,  What  ye  have  seen  me  do, 
make  haste,  and  do  as  1  have 
done. 

49  And  all  the  people  like- 
wise cut  down  every  man  his 
bough,  and  followed  Abimelech, 
and  put  them  to  the  hold,  and  set 
the  hold  on  fire  upon  them  ;  so 
that  all  the  men  of  the  tower  of 
Shechem  died  also,  about  a  thou- 
sand men  and  women. 

50  H  Then  went  Abimelech 
to  Thebez,  and  encamped  against 
Thebez,  and  took  it. 

51  But  there  was  a  strong 
tower  within  the  city,  and  thi- 
ther fled  all  the  men  and  women, 


its  vicinity,  to  which  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  population  had  pre- 
viously betaken  themselves  to  escape 
the  fury  of  their  invader.  What- 
ever it  were,  it  was  now  deemed  too 
insecure  an  asylum  to  trust  to,  and 
its  occupants  withdrew  to  a  strong- 
hold in  the  precincts  of  the  temple, 
where  they  promised  themselves 
safety  if  not  from  its  strength,  at  least 
from  its  sacredness.  But  in  putting 
themselves  under  the  protection  of 
their  idol,  that  which  they  hoped 
would  have  been  for  their  welfare, 
proved  to  them  a  snare  and  a  trap. 
It  is  highly  probable  that  this  was 
no  other  than  the  place  called,  v.  6, 
'  the  house  of  Millo,'  which  was  to 
be  involved  in  the  catastrophe  pre- 
dicted in  Jotham's  curse,  v.  20,  an 
event  most  strikingly  accomplished 
when  the  place  was  set  on  fire  by 
Abimelech. 

48.  Mount  Zalmon.  A  mountain, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Shechem,  so  called 
from  the  abundant  shade  caused  by 
the  forests  with  which  it  was  cover- 
ed.    See  Ps.  68.  15. 

50.  Encamped  against  Thebez.  A 
city  of  Ephraim  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Shechem,  and  about  thirteen  miles 


A.  C.  1206.] 


CHAPTER  IX. 


295 


and  all  they  of  the  city,  and  shut 
it  to  them,  and  gat  them  up  to 
the  top  of  the  tower. 

52  At)d  Abimelech  came  un- 
to the  tower,  and  fought  against 
it,  and  went  hard  unto  the  door 
of  the  tower  to  burn  it  with  fire. 

53  And  a  certain  woman 
least  a  piece  of  a  millstone  upon 
Abimelech's  head,  and  all  to 
break  his  skull. 

54  Tnen   ™he    called   hastily 


m  So  1  Sam    31.  4. 


west  from  Bethshan  (Scythopolis.) 
According  to  Euscbius  and  Jerome 
it  continued  till  their  time,  or  to 
about  four  hundred  years  after 
Christ,  but  at  the  present  day  it  has 
wholly  disappeared. 

51.  A  strung  tower  within  the  city. 
Doubtless  a  sort  of  citadel  such  as 
exists  in  most  considerable  towns  in 
western  Asia,  and  which  serves  the 
people  as  a  last  retreat  when  the 
town  is  taken  by  an  enemy,  and 
where  the  people  shut  themselves  up 
on 'occasions  of  popular  tumult.  In 
some  parts  of  the  East  such  towers 
are  to  be  seen  in  the  open  country, 
where  the  neighboring  peasantry 
may  deposit  their  more  valuable 
property,  or  themselves  take  refuge, 
when  the  approach  of  an  enemy  or 
of  a  plundering  tribe  is  expected. 

53.  A  piece  of  a  rniUstone.  Literal- 
ly, 'ft  piece  of  a,  cAano^-wheel,' but 
elsewhere  applied  to  upper-millstones. 
^  And  all  to  break  his  skull.  In  near- 
ly all  the  copies  of  the  English  Bible 
printed  in  England,  the  verb  appears 
in  the  past  tense  '  brake,'  whereas  in 
all  or  nearly  all  the  American  edi- 
tions the  word  is  '  break,'  as  in  the 
text  above.  The  former  reading  is 
certainly  the  correct  one.  The  er- 
ror in  our  editions  has  arisen  from 
a  misapprehension  of  the  true  mean- 
ing of  the  phrase  '  all  to.'  Accord- 
ing to  the  present  use  of  language, 
this  would  seem  rather  to  express 
intention  than  the  result  of  action, 
but  it  really  expresses   the    latter. 


unto  the  young  man  his  armor- 
bearer,  and  said  unto  him,  Draw 
thy  sword,  and  slay  me,  that 
men  say  not  of  me,  A  woman 
slew  him.  And  his  young  man 
thrust  him  through,  and  he  died. 

55  And  when  the  men  of 
Israel  saw  that  Abimelech  was 
dead,  they  departed  every  man 
unto  his  place. 

56  IT  "Thus  God  rendered  the 
wickedness  of  Abimelech,  which 

nv.  24.      Job  31.  3.      Fs.  94.  23.     Prov.  5.  22. 


'  All  to,'  in  many  of  the  old  English 
writers,  means  '  altogether,'  '  entire- 
ly,' or  as  Johnson  says,  is  used,  '  as 
a  particle  of  more  enforcement ;'  and 
so  doubtless  it  is  used  here  ;  q.  d. 
'she  entirely  or  utterly  brake  his 
skull.'  Not  understanding  this,  many 
copies  of  the  common  version,  have 
changed  it  to  indicate  intention^  by 
substituting  '  break'  for  'brake.' 

54.  And  he  died.  Abimelech's  de- 
vices to  avoid  the  disgrace  of  perish- 
ing by  the  hands  of  a  woman,  avail- 
ed him  little,  for  nearly  three  centu- 
ries afterwards  we  find  his  death  as- 
cribed to  the  woman  who  threw  the 
piece  of  millstone  from  the  wall,  2 
Sam.  11.  21.  '  There  now  lies  the 
greatness  of  Abimelech ;  on  one 
stone  he  had  slain  his  seventy  breth- 
ren and  now  a  stone  slays  him  ;  his 
head  had  stolen  the  crown  of  Israel, 
and  now  his  head  is  smitten.  O  the 
just  succession  of  the  revenges  of 
God  !  Gideon's  ephod  is  punished 
with  the  blood  of  his  sons,  the  blood 
of  his  sons  is  shed  by  the  procure- 
ment of  the  Shechemites  :  the  blood 
of  the  Shechemites  is  shed  by  Abi- 
melech ;  the  blood  of  Abimelech  is 
spilt  by  a  woman.  The  retaliations 
of  God  are  sure  and  just,  and  make 
a  more  due  pedigree  than  descent 
of  nature.'    Bp.  Hall. 

56.  Rendered  the  vnckedness.  Re- 
quitted,'recompensed  the  wickedness. 
Both  the  fratricide  Abimelech  and 
the  unprincipled  men  of  Shechem 
had  the  iniquity  visited  upon  them  of 


296 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1183. 


he  did  unto  his  father,  in  slaying 
his  seventy  brethren  : 

57  And  all  the  evil  of  the 
men  ofShechem  did  God  ren- 
der  upon  their  heads  :  and  upon 
them  came  °the  curse  of  Jo- 
tham  the  son  of  Jprubbaal. 

CHAPTER  X. 

AND  after  Abimelech  there 
''arose  to  defend  Israel,  To- 
la  the  son  of  Puah,  the  son  of 
Dodo,  a  man  of  Issachar  ;  and 
he  dwelt  in  Shamir  in  mount 
Ephraim. 

o  ver  20.  a  ch.  2.  16. 


•which  they  had  been  guilty.  Man's 
judgment  may  be  avoided,  but  there 
is  no  escaping  from  the  judgment  of 
God.  The  recorded  end  of  Abime- 
lech suggests  the  remark,  (1.)  That 
ihey  who  thirst  for  blood,  God  will 
at  last  give  ihem  their  own  blood  to 
drink.  (2.)  The  weak  in  God's  hand 
can  confound  the  mighty,  and  those 
who  walk  in  pride  he  is  able  to 
abase.  (3.)  They  who  in  life  consult- 
ed only  their  pride  and  ambition, 
will  usually  die  as  they  live,  more 
solicitous  that  their  honor  should  be 
preserved  on  earth,  than  that  their 
souls  be  saved  from  hell.  (4.)  The 
methods  proud  men  take  to  secure  a 
great  name,  often  only  serve  to  per- 
petuate their  infamy. 

CHAPTER  X. 

1 ,  Arose  to  defend.  Heb. '  arose  to 
save  or  deliver.'  To  sustain  the  of- 
fice and  act  the  part  of  a  savior  or  de- 
liverer, in  case  it  should  be  necessary. 
They  were  now  freed  from  the  tyr- 
anny of  Abimelech,  and  as  far  as 
appears  enjoyed  prevailing  peace, 
yet  they  were  still  liable  to  annoy- 
ance and  incursions  from  the  neigh- 
"boring  powers,  and  it  was  fitting  that 
they  should  have  a  head  to  preside 
over  their  concerns,  repressing  in- 
ternal discords,  maintaining  union, 


2  And  he  judged  Israel  twen- 
ty  and  three  years,  and  died,  and 
was  buried  in  Shamir. 

3  H  And  after  him  arose  Jair, 
a  Giieadite,  and  judged  Israel 
twenty  and  two  years. 

4  And  he  had  thirty  sons 
that  '^rode  on  thirty  ass  colts, 
and  they  had  thirty  cities,  -^which 
are  called  Havoth-jair  unto  this 
day,  which  are  in  the  land  of 
Gilead. 

.5  And  Jair  died,  and  was  buri- 
ed in  Camon. 

6  H  And  '•the  children  of  Is- 

h  ch.  5.  10.  &  12.  14.        cDent.  3.  U.      d  ch.  2.  U- 
&3.  7.  &  4.  1.  &  6.  1.  &  li.  1. 


guarding  against  idolatry,  and  pre- 
pared at  all  limes  to  take  ilie  field  in 
their  defence.  Ti  Dicelt  in  Shamir, 
in  mount  Ephraim.  Though  of  the 
tribe  of  Issachar,  yet  when  raised  to 
the  government,  iie  came  and  dwelt 
in  mount  Ephraim,  as  being  a  more 
central  station,  one  to  which  the  peo- 
ple might  more  conveniently  resort 
for  judgment. 

4.  I'hirty  sons  that  rode  on  thirty 
ass  colts,  &c.  A  very  remarkable 
indication  of  eastern  manners,  and 
of  the  state  of  the  times.  It  seems 
that  the  people  so  generally  went 
about  on  foot,  that  to  ride  on  an  ass, 
that  is,  to  ride  at  all,  was  considered 
a  mark  of  wealth  and  distinction. 
So  w^e  afterwards  read  of  Abdon 
another  judge,  ch.  12.  14,  that  'he 
had  forty  sons  and  thirty  nephews 
that  rode  on  threescore  and  ten  ass 
colts.'  No  doubt  this  conveyed  to 
the  ancient  Hebrews  the  idea  of  as 
much  consideration  as  it  does  among 
us  to  say,  that  a  person  keeps  a  car- 
riage. Josephus,  perhaps  from 
thinking  the  indication  undignified, 
changes  the  asses  to  horses.  IT 
Thirty  cities — called  Havoth-jair 
unto  this  day.  Heb.  '  villages  of 
Jair.'  We  read  in  Num.  32.  41,  that 
'Jair  the  son  of  iVlanasseh  went  and 
took  the  small  towns  thereof,  and 


A.  C.  1161.]  CHAPTER  X. 

rael  did  evil   again  in  tlu*   sight ! 
ofthe  LoRi>,  and  ^served  Baalim,  | 
and  Aslitaroth,  and  '^the  gods  ofj 
Syria,  and  the  gods  of   eZidon, 
and    the  gods  oi    Moab,  and  the 
gods  ofthe  children  of  Ammoii, 
and    tiie     gods     of   the    Philis- 
tines,   and    forsook    the    Lord, 
and  sewed  not  liim. 

7  And  the  anger  ofthe  Lord 

e  ch.  2.  13.      1  ch.  2.  Vi.      ^  1  K.i,g.i  II.  33.  Ps.  U6 


called  them  Havoth-jair,'  from 
Avhich  some  have  supposed  that  the 
Jair  there  mentioned  is  the  same 
person  with  the  judge  spoken  of  in 
the  passage  before  us.  But  the  for- 
mer was  doubtless  the  ancestor  of 
the  latter,  Lliough  the  names  of  the 
villages  in  question  were  retained 
unaltered  from  the  original  posse.s- 
sor.  Their  number,  as  Ave  learn 
from  1  Chron.  2.  22,  was  at  first  onl}- 
twenty-three,  but  the  remaining 
seven  were  added  in  process  of  Lime. 
The  circumstance  affords  evidence 
ofthe  rank  and  opulence  ofthe  fa- 
mily. 

6.  Did  evil  again.  Heb.  'added 
to  do  evil.'  The  defection  here  men- 
tioned was  undoubtedly  very  gross 
and  of  aggravated  enormity.  They 
became  in  a  sense  universal  idola- 
ters, adopting  all  the  gods  ofthe  sur- 
rounding nations.  They  scarcely 
seem  to  have  admitted  the  God  of  Is- 
rael as  one  ofthe  many  deities  they 
worshipped,  but  to  have  cast  him  oif 
altogether.  '  Those  that  think  to 
serve  both  God  and  mammon,  will 
soon  come  entirely  to  forsake  God, 
and  to  serve  mammon  only.  If  God 
hav^e  not  all  the  heart,  he  will  soon 
have  none  of  it.'     Henry. 

7.  And  he  sold  them.  See  on  ch.  2. 
14.  11  Into  the  hands  of  the  Philis- 
tines and — of  Amman.  The  one  on 
the  west,  the  other  on  the  east ;  so 
that  they  were  grievously  annoyed 
on  both  sides. 

8.  That  year  they  vexed  and  op- 
pressed the.  children  of  Israel  eighteen 
years.    We  know  not  what  sense  to 

26 


X'97 

was  hot  against  Israel,  and  he 
^s:)id  them  into  the  hands  of  tlie 
Phihstines,  and  into  the  hands  oC 
the  children  of  Amnion. 

8  And  that  year  they  vexed 
and  oppressed  the  children  of  Is- 
rael eighteen  3''ears,  all  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  that  were  on  the 
other  side  Jordan  in  the  land  o! 
the  Amorites,  which  is  in  Gilead. 

h  cli.  2    U.         1  Sam    12.  y. 


make  of  this  clause  as  it  now  stands, 
which  seems  to  bring  an  oppression 
of  eighteen  year's  continuance  within 
the  space  of  one  year.  Probably  the 
solution  is  to  render  the  veibs  in  the 
pliTperfect,  'and  that  year  they  had 
vexed  and  oppressed  them  eighteen 
years;'  i.  e.  that  year  completed  the 
period  of  eighteen  years  during 
which  they  had  proved  a  scourge  to 
them.  The  oppression  commenced 
during  the  administration  of  Jaii', 
perhaps  nearly  at  the  same  time 
with  the  apostacy  which  caused  it, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  had  con- 
tinued eighteeen  years.  This  last 
event,  though  occurring  after  the 
apostacy  commenced,  is  mentioned 
before  it  by  prolepsis  or  anticipation, 
than  which  nothing  is  more  fre- 
quent in  the  sacred  writers.  The 
terms  employed  in  the  original  to  in- 
dicate the  severity  ofthe  oppression 
are  very  expressive.  They  import 
crushing  and  breaking  to  pieces,  a 
metaphor  apparently  drawn  from  the 
action  of  two  raill-stones  upon  the 
substance  placed  between  them,  to 
which  Henry  strikingly  compares 
the  condition  ofthe  Israelites  at  this 
time  under  the  grinding  oppression 
of  the  two  hostile  powers  on  either 
side  of  them,  the  Ammonites  and  the 
Philistines.  Another  remark  of  the 
same  commentator  respecting  this 
apostacy  of  Israel  is  well  worthy  oi 
insertion  here.  '  God  had  appointed 
that  if  any  of  the  cities  of  Israel 
should  revolt  to  idolatry,  the  rest 
should  make  war  upon  them  and  cut 
Ihem  off,  Deut.  13.  12,  et  infr.    Thev 


298 


JUDGES. 


[A.C.  1161. 


9  Moreover,  the  children  of 
Ainmon  passed  over  Jordan,  to 
fight  also  against  Juduh,  and 
against  Benjamin,  and  against 
the  house  of  Ephraim  ;  so  tliat 
Israel  was  sore  distressed. 

10  ^  iAnd  the  children  of  Is- 
rael cried  unto  the  Lord,  say- 
ing, We  have  sinned  against  thee, 
both  because  we  have  forsaken 
our  God,  and  also  served  Baa- 
lim. 

11  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
the  children  of  Israel,  Did  not 

i  1  Sam.  12.  10. 


had  been  jealous  enough  in  this  mat- 
ter, almost  to  an  extreme,  in  the  case 
of  the  altar  set  up  by  the  two  tribes 
and  a  half,  Josh.  22,  but  now  they 
are  grown  so  very  bad,  that  when 
one  city  was  infected  with  idolatry, 
the  next  took  the  infection,  and,  in- 
stead of  punishing,  imitated  and  out- 
did it;  and  therefore  since  they  that 
should  have  been  revengers  to  exe- 
cute wrath  upon  them  that  did  this 
evil,  were  themselves  guilty,  or  bare 
the  sword  in  vain,  God  brought  the 
neighboring  nations  upon  them  to 
chastise  them  for  their  apostacy.' 

9.  The  children  of  Amnion  passed 
over  Jordan.  The  Philistines  pro- 
bably harrassed  the  children  of  Is- 
rael in  the  south  of  Canaan,  west  of 
the  Jordan  ;  and  the  Ammonites  the 
two  tribes  and  a  half  to  the  east  of 
that  river.  The  spirit  of  conquest  or 
of  aggression,  however,  soon  led  the 
latter  to  cross  the  Jordan.  It  seems 
probable  that  they  rather  vexed  and 
distressed  the  trans- Jordanic  tribes, 
than  kept  them  in  entire  subjection; 
and  afterwards  extended  their  incur- 
sions to  the  west  of  the  Jordan. 
They  were  justly  punished  by  the 
Amorites,  for  they  had  so  utterly  de- 
generated and  conformed  to  their 
heathen  neighbors,  that  Ezekiel  in 
addressing  the  Israelitish  nation,  ch. 


/  deliver  you  '■from  the  Egyp- 
tians, and  ifrom  the  Amorites, 
"'from  the  children  of  Amnion, 


"and 


tiie  Philistines? 


12  °The  Zidonians  also,  Pand 
the  Amalekites,  and  the  A'aon- 
ires  «Jdid  oppress  you  ;  and  ye 
cried  to  me,  and  I  delivered  you 
out  of  their  hand. 

IH  --Yet  ye  have  forsaken  mo, 
and  served  other  gf)ds  :  where- 
fore I  will  deliver  you  no  more. 

14  Go  and  'cry  unto  the  gods 
which  ye  have  chosen  ;  let  tliem 

kEx.  U.  30.  !  Nam.  21  21,  24. '25.  ni  ch.  S" 
12,13.  M  ch.  3- 31.  o    h.  5.  19  p  eh.  6    3. 

q  Ps.  106.  42,43  r  Dout.  32.  15.  Jlt.  2.  13.  i  iJewl. 
32.37,38     2Kiiig.«3.  13     Jer.  2. 2S. 

16.  3,  says  by  a  bold  figure, '  Thy  fa- 
ther  was  an  Amorite,  and  thy  mo- 
ther a  Hittite.' 

10.  Both  because  we  have  forsaken, 
&c.  They  specify  distinctly  the  two 
forms  of  their  transgression  ;  first,  in 
departing  wickedly  from  God, 
secondly,  in  serving  idols.  Under 
the  deep  impression  of  their  guilt  in 
this  conduct,  they  made  good  the 
words  of  the  prophet,  Is.  26.  16, 
'  Lord,  in  trouble  have  they  visited 
thee;  they  poured  out  a  prayer  when 
thy  chastening  was  upon  them.' 
The  first  step  of  a  sinner's  return  to 
God  is  the  discovery  of  his  own 
great  guilt,  and  a  sense  of  his  de- 
served ruin,  and  this  in  order  to  be 
available  must  be  accompanied  with 
the  most  sincere  and  penitent  ac- 
knoioledgment  of  his  aggravated  of- 
fences. 

11.  And  the  Lord  said,  &c.  In 
what  manner  these  reproofs  were 
conveyed  to  the  Israelites,  we  are 
not  informed.  It  Avas  probably 
through  the  medium  of  some  inspir- 
ed prophet,  or  of  the  high  priest, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  learn  the  will 
of  heaven  in  all  trying  emergencies. 

14.  Go  and  cry  unto  the  god's 
which  ye  have  chosen.  Which  ye 
have  not  served  upon  compulsion, 
but  which  ye  have  freely  and  volun- 


A.  C.  1161.] 


CHAPTER  X. 


299 


deliver  you  in  the  time  of  your 
tribulation. 

15  IF  And  the  children  of  Is- 
rael  said  unto  the  Lokd,  We 
have  sinned  :  'do  thou  unto  us 
whatsoever  seemeth  good  unto 
thee  ;  deHver  us  only,  we  pray 
thee,  tliis  day. 

I  1  S..1.1.  3.  IS.  2  Sam.  15.  26. 


tarily  chosen.  The  Most  High  does 
not  turn  away  his  ear  from  their 
prayers,  nor  sink  them  in  utter  de- 
spair, yet  he  sends  a  sharp  and  up- 
braiding answer,  of  which  the  im- 
mediate effect  would  be  to  awaken 
their  consciences,  and  confound  them 
imder  a  sense  of  their  baseness  c.nd 
ins:ratitnde.  Many  a  time  they  hr.d 
been  delivered  and  those  very  op- 
pressors subdued  under  them ;  yet 
they  had  vilely  sinned  against  their 
own  mercies.  He  therefore  refers 
them  for  help  to  the  gods  whom  they 
had  served,  to  rebuke  their  folly  and 
convince  them  of  the  weakness  of 
these  lying  vanities.  Yet  the  em- 
phatic "^declaration,  '  I  will  deliver 
you  no  more,'  is  to  be  understood 
conditionally,  in  case  their  idols 
were  kept  among  them  ;  for  the  di- 
vine threatenings  always  imply  a  re- 
serve of  mercy  to  the  truly  penitent. 
(1.)  If  God  appears  to  frown  upon 
the  returning  sinner,  let  him  not  de- 
spair; it  is  no  more  than  his  desert, 
indeed,  if  he  be  utterly  rejected  ;  but 
with  the  Lord  there  is  mercy  and 
forgiveness,  and  a  heart  of  over- 
whelming kindness  is  sometimes 
temporarily  concealed  by  an  aspect 
of  wrath.  (2.)  When  we  are 
brought  to  a  real  sense  of  our  sins, 
we  shall  see  the  vanity  and  insuffi- 
ciency of  those  things  to  make  us 
either  safe  or  happ)'-,  in  which  we 
formerly  trusted. 

1.3.  Do  mdo  us  whatsoever  seemeth 
£ood  unto  thee.  Heb.  '  do  unto  us 
"according  to  all  (that  is)  good  in 
thine  eyes.' 

IG.  They  put  away  the  strange 
sods.    Heb,  '  the  gods  of  the  stran- 


16  "And  they  put  away  the 
strange  gods  from  among  them, 
and  served  the  Lord  :  and  *his 
soul  was  grieved  for  the  misery 
of  Israel. 

17  Then  the  children  of  Am- 
nion were  gathered  together, 
and  encamped  in  Gilead.     And 


u  2  Chr.  7.  14.  4  15.  8.      Jer.  18.  7, 
44,  io.    Is.  63.  9. 


X   P3     1.6. 


ger,'  In  coming  before  God  not 
only  is  every  excuse  for  sin  to  be  re- 
nounced, and  the  plea  of,  guilly, 
guilty,  sincerely  to  be  made,  but  if 
we  would  approve  our  repentance 
real,  the  sins  we  confess  are  instant- 
ly to  be  discarded.  When  this  is  the 
case,  and  our  transgressions  are 
truly  our  bitterness  and  burden, 
though  we  may  stand  trembling  un- 
der the  black  review,  yet  there  is 
hope.  IT  His  soul  was  grieved. 
Not  that  there  is  really  any  grief  in 
God,  for  being  infinitely  happy  in 
himself,  he  is  inaccessible  to  any  such 
emotion ;  but  it  is  spoken  after  the 
manner  of  men,  to  represent  to  us 
more  forcibly  the  abounding  compas- 
sions of  his  heart.  He  acted  towards 
his  people  like  one  who  felt  for  their 
sufferings,  like  a  kind  father,  who 
cannot  but  be  grieved  over  the  afflic- 
tions of  his  children.  He  had  pity 
upon  them,  restraining  his  severities, 
and  giving  new  and  merciful  com- 
plexion to  his  dispensations  towards 
them.  The  Heb.  is  '  shortened,  con- 
tracted, straitened  ;'  a  term  expres- 
sive of  a  state  of  mind  the  opposite  of 
equanimity,  long  suffering,  forbear- 
ance ;  implying  at  once  a  sympathy 
with  suffering  and  a  kind  of  m- 
patience  in  redressing  it.  How 
consoling  the  thought  that  no  pro- 
digal returns  to  God  but  his  pater- 
nal heart  yearns  over  him  touched 
with  a  feeling  of  his  wretchedness, 
and  ready  to  embrace  the  most  mis- 
erable of  sinners. 

17.'  The  children  of  Amman  were 
gathered  together.  Heb. '  were  cried 
together;'  "i.  e.  were  convened  by 
means  of  criers  sent  over  the  country 


:'>00 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1161. 


tiie  children  of  Israel  asscnililcd 
themselves  together,  and  en- 
camped in  J'jVlizpel). 

18  And  the  people  and  princes 
ofGilcad  said  one  to  another, 
AVhat  man  is  he  that  will  begin 
to  fight  against  the  children  of 
Ammon  ?  he  shall  'b<j  head  over 
ftil  the  inhabitants  ofGiiead. 

ych.  11.  11,29.    Geii.  31.  49.     i  ch.  11.  8.  11. 

in  every  direction  to  stir  up  all  the 
fuemies  of  Lsraei.  IT  Encamped  in 
Mizpeh.  There  were  several  places 
of  this  name,  bat  as  the  war  here  de- 
scribed was  waged  on  the  east  of 
the  Jordan,  the  Mizpeh  alluded  to 
in  the  text  was  undoub:edly  that  in 
the  trans- Jordanic  half  tribe  of  Ma- 
nasseh,  and  of  which  an  account  is 
given  Josh.  11.  3. 

18.  The  people  and  the  princes 
said.  Heb.  'the  people  the  princes 
said;'  indicating  by  a  remarkable 
phraseolgy  how  closely  related,  not 
to  say  identified,  were  ihe  people  and 
the  rulers  among  these  eastern  tribes. 
Though  the  nominal  distinction  ex- 
isted, yet  the  interests  of  each  were 
so  completely  the  same,  that  their  re- 
spective denominations  are  as  it 
M'ere  merged  in  each  other.  How 
different  the  spectacle  presented  by 
the  governments  of  nearly  every 
European  nation  for  the  last  two 
thousand  years,  and  cnniinued  to  the 
present  day !  IF  Shall  be  head^  &c. 
Shall  not  only  take  the  conduct  of 
the  present  war,  but  when  the  war  is 
over  shall,  as  a  reward  for  his  servi- 
ces, be  continued  as  the  governing 
head  of  this  people.  This  verse 
'-•omes  in  here  as  an  introduction  to 
ihe  following  narrative. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

1.  Now  Jeplhah — was  a  minhty 
man  of  valor.  More  properly  per- 
haps, "' had  become.'  The  original 
n'^n  is  ^ot  merely  a  verb  of  existence, 
but  denotes  the  transition  of  its  sub- 
ject, from  one  state  to  anoUier. 
When  its  meaning  is  simply  '  is,'  or 
'  was,'  it  is  almost  invariably  omitted 


CHAPTER  XI. 

"MOW  -^Jephthah  the  Gileadite 
was  ''a  mighty  man  of  val- 
or, and  he  luas  the  son  of  a 
harlot  :  and  Gilead  beg;U  Jcph- 
thah. 

2  And  Gilead's  wife  bare  him 
sons;  and  his  wife's  sons  grew 
up,  and   they   thrust  out  Jeph- 

a  Hel,.  n.  3-2.  b  ch   6.  12.     2  Kines  5.  I 


in  the  original.  Here,  however,  i^ 
is  inserted,  and  probably  hints  at  the 
process  by  which  Jepthah  had  gradu- 
ally become  distinguished.  IT  The 
son  of  a  harlot.  Heb.  '  a  woman,  a 
harlot.'  Not  begotten  in  lawful  wed- 
lock. The  Jewish  commentators 
for  the  most  part  give  a  softeniig 
exposition  of  the  term  here  empl(»y- 
ed,  as  if  it  imported  merely  a  concu- 
bine, or  a  gentile,  i.  e.  a  foreign  or 
strange  woman,  not  one  of  the  Isra- 
elitish  race,  as  she  is  termed  in  v.  2. 
But  without  doing  violence  to  its 
ordinary  and  most  legitimate  sense, 
we  know  not  how  to  depart  from  the 
rendering  of  the- text.  At  the  same 
time,  ii  is  to  be  observed,  that  our 
limited  knowledge  of  the  actual 
state  of  manners  and  society  in  those 
ancient  periods  prevents  us  from  af- 
firming, that  the  word  conveys  pre- 
cisely the  idea  oi  public  addicted'ness 
to  degrading  vice  which  its  modern 
acceptation  imports.  It  may  have 
indicated  a  character  somewhat  less 
vile  and  iniquitous,  but  the  ambigu- 
ity of  the  term  is  not  sufficient  to 
cover  all  disgrace  in  Jepthah's  ori- 
gin. His  extraction,  however,  what- 
ever it  was,  was  the  fault  and  dis- 
grace of  his  parents  rather  than  of 
himself,  and  a  man  should  not  be  re- 
proached with  the  unhappiness  of 
his  birth,  when  his  own  conduct  be- 
speaks him  deserving  a  more  honor- 
able relation.  ^Gileadbegat  Jepthah. 
One  of  the  descendants  of  the  Gilead 
mentioned  Num.  32.  1.  Josh.  17.  1, 
3,  and  bearing  his  name.  To  what 
tribe  he  belonged  is  not  certain,  but 
probably  that  of  Manasseh  beyond 
the  Jordan.     1  Chron.  7.  14. 


A.  C.  1161.] 


CHAPTER  XL 


301 


thah,  and  said  unto  him,  Thou 
shall  not  inherit  in  our  father's 
house  ;  for  thou  art  the  son  of  a 
strani^e  woman. 

8  Then  Jephthah  fled  from 
his  brethren,  and  dwelt  in  the 
land  of  Tob :  and   there    were 


2.  Gilead's  wife.  His  lawful  wife, 
in  contradistinction  from  Jepthah's 
mother.  H  Thou  shall  not  inherit, 
&c.  That  he  was  not  entitled  to 
to  share  in  the  inheritance  was  a 
matter  of  course,  for  even  the  child- 
ren of  the  lawful  secondary  ^Hq  or 
concubine  were  not  admitted  to  this 
privilege,  Gen.  21.  10. — 25.  6,  much 
less  the  issue  of  such  an  illicit  con- 
nection as  that  in  question.  But 
Jepthah's  brethren  were  probably 
actuated  by  some  secret  motive  of 
jealously  or  envy,  which  they  would 
fain  conceal  by  the  plea  of  illegiti- 
macy and  outlawry  here  advanced; 
for  it  does  not  appear  that  his  expul- 
sion from  his  father's  house  was  ne- 
cessary simply  on  this  account.  At 
any  rate,  he  evidently  regarded  it  as 
a  gross  outrage  upon  his  rights,  v.  7, 
and  one  which  the  elders  and  magis- 
trates of  the  city  connived  at  and 
abetted.  The  pretence  of  legal  right 
is  often  a  mere  cover  to  the  foulest 
wrongs  and  injuries.  IT Ofastrange 
woman.  Heb.  'of  another  woman.' 
That  is,  other  than  his  lawful  wife, 
and  probably  a  foreigner.  See  on 
Ex.  1.  8.  Deut.  29.  26.  Jer.  22.  26. 

3.  Fled  from  his  brethren.  Heb. 
'  from  the  face  of  his  brethren.  1T//i 
the  land  of  Tob.  A  region  so  called 
perhaps  from  the  name  of  the  indi- 
vidual who  was  its  first  or  most  dis- 
tinguished inhabitant.  Its  precise 
locality  is  not  known,  but  from  the 
facility  of  communication  it  was 
doubtless  in  the  near  vicinity  of  Gil- 
ead,  Comp.  2  Sam.  10.  6,  8.  IT 
Were  gathered  vain  men  to  Jepthah, 
and  went  out  with  him.  Heb.  '  emp- 
ty men  ;'  that  is,  idle,  worthless,  pro- 
fligate men,  a  lawless  rabble.  The 
original  Qip'^  is  a  term  of  great  re- 1 

26* 


gathered  "^vain  men  to  Jephthah, 
and  went  out  with  him. 

4  IT  And  it  came  to  pass  in 
process  of  time,  that  the  children 
of  Ammon  made  war  against  Is- 
rael. 

5  And  it  was  so,  that  when 


proach,  being  the  same  with '  Raca, 
in  the  New  Testament.  The  mean- 
ing evidently  is,  that  Jepthah,  being 
without  any  inheritance  or  family 
connections  to  afford  him  a  subsis- 
tance,  and  being  expelled  from  his 
native  place,  became  an  adventurer, 
and  his  character  having  brought 
around  him  a  number  of  brave  but 
idle  men,  perhaps  similarly  circum- 
stanced, he  made  predatory  incur- 
sions into  the  neighboring  countries. 
This  is  what  is  meant  by  '  going  out 
with  him,'  a  phrase  frequently  ap- 
plied to  warlike  and  plundering  in- 
roads upon  an  enemy's  territory. 
Probably  they  went  out  particularly 
into  the  land  of  the  Ammonites,  to 
retaliate  the  incursions  which  the 
latter  made  into  Israel;  and  Jep- 
thah's success  or  skill  in  these  free- 
booting  expeditions  acquired  him  so 
much  reputation,  that  the  people 
would  naturally  be  led  to  look  to  him 
when  they  wanted  a  military  leader. 
The  mode  of  life  here  indicated  is 
precisely  that  which  was  followed 
by  David,  when  his  reputation 
brought  around  him  men  of  similar 
character  to  these  followers  of  Jep- 
thah. This  kind  of  military  robbery 
is  far  from  being  considered  dishon- 
orable in  the  East.  On  the  contrary, 
the  fame  thus  acquired  is  thought  as' 
fair  as  any  that  can  be  obtained 
through  any  class  of  military  opera- 
tions. An  Arab  or  Tartar  desires 
no  higher  or  brighter  distinction  than 
that  of  a  sucessful  military  robber ; 
and  to  make  that  fame  unsullied,  it 
is  only  necessary  that  his  expedition 
should  not  be  against  his  own  nation 
or  tribe. 

4.   The  children  of  Ammon  made 
war  against   Israel.      Or,  perhaps 


302 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1161. 


the  children  of  Ammon  made 
war  against  Israel,  the  elders  of 
Gilead  went  to  fetch  Jephthah 
out  of  the  land  of  Tob  : 

6  And  they  said  unto  Jeph- 
thah,  Come,  and  be  our  captain, 
that  we  may  fight  with  the  chil- 
dren of  Ammon. 


more  properly,  '  had  made  war,'  and 
were  now  encamped  in  Gilead.  We 
are  here  carried  back  in  point  of 
time  to  the  period  mentioned  ch.  10. 
17,  the  historian  having  returned 
from  his  digression  concerning  the 
parentage  and  early  life  of  Jepthah. 
The  words  '  in  process  of  time,' 
Heb.  'after  days,' probably  refer  to 
the  period  immediately  antecedent 
to  the  expulsion  of  Jepth?.h.  Many 
days  after  he  had  been  thrust  out  in 
disgrace,  he  was  brought  back  again 
with  honor. 

5.  Went  to  fetch  Jepthah.  Heb. 
'  to  take  ;'  that  is,  to  persuade  to  go. 
See  note  on  Josh.  24.  3,  and  on  Gen. 
2.  15.  This  was  undoubtedly  with 
the  approbation,  if  not  with  the  ex- 
press direction  of  Jehovah. 

6.  Come  and  be  02tr  captain.  The 
manner  in  which  God  overrules  the 
ill-meant  actions  of  men  to  the  fur- 
therance of  his  designs  is  here  very 
observable.  If  Jepthah  had  not  been, 
as  he  was,  the  object  of  his  brethren's 
unkindness  he  had  lost  the  opportu- 
nity to  exercise  and  improve  his  mar- 
tial genius,  and  so  failed  to  signalise 
himself  in  the  eyes  of  his  country- 
men. So  it  often  happens  that  the 
providences  which  are,  to  appear- 
ance, our  greatest  misfortune,  are 
necessary  to  fit  us  for  the  work  for 
which  God  designs  us. 

7.  Did  ye  not  hate  me  and  expel  me, 
&c.  Though  the  act  of  his  expul- 
sion was  primarily  that  of  Jepthah's 
brethren,  yet  these  elders  had  either 
actively  aided  in  it,  or  by  forbearing 
to  prevent  or  punish  the  injury,  had 
virtually  made  themselves  partakers 
in  the  guilt  of  it;  and  with  this  he 
plainly  charges  them.    '  Magistrates 


7  And  Jephthah  said  unto  the 
elders  of  Gilead,  ^^Did  not  ye 
hate  me,  and  expel  me  out  of 
my  father's  house  ?  and  why 
are  ye  come  unto  me  now  when 
ye  are  in  distress  ? 

8  'And  the  elders  of  Gilead 
said  unto  Jephthah,    Therefore 


that  have  power  to  protect  those  that 
are  injured,  if  they  do  not  do  them 
right,  really  do  them  wrong.'  Henry. 
IT  Why  are  ye  come  unto  me  now  when 
ye  are  in  distress  ?  Not  that  Jepthah 
was  unwilling  to  save  his  coimtry, 
but  he  thought  fit  to  give  them  a  hint 
of  their  former  unkindness,  that  they 
might  repent  of  it,  and  in  future  be 
more  sensible  of  their  obligations. 
Thus  Joseph  humbled  his  brethren 
before  he  made  himself  known  to 
them.  The  same  language  too  may 
be  applied  by  Christ  to  impenitent 
sinners,  who  after  doing  what  in 
them  lies  to  expel  the  Saviour  from 
his  inheritance  in  their  own  hearts, 
in  the  church,  and  in  the  world,  still 
fly  to  him  and  supplicate  him  for 
succor  in  the  day  of  their  distress. 

8.  Therefore  ice  turn  again  unto 
thee.  This  cannot  be  meant  of  a 
local  turning  or  returning  to  Jepthah, 
for  the  words  were  obviously  spoken 
at  the  first  interview,  from  which 
they  had  not  yet  retired.  The  phrase 
doubtless  has  reference  to  a  change 
of  mind,  a  turning  again  in  the  state 
of  their  feelings  toioards  him.  It  is 
as  if  they  had  said,  '  We  are  con- 
vinced that  we  have  done  thee  wrong, 
and  that  thou  hast  just  ground  of 
complaint ;  but  we  renounce  the  feel- 
ings we  have  formerly  cherished, 
and  we  now  come  to  acknowledge 
our  fault  and  to  make  thee  full  re- 
paration. As  a  proof  of  our  since- 
rity we  proSer  thee  this  honor,  which 
shall  counterbalance  the  dishonor 
we  have  put  upon  thee.'  The  incident 
may  serve  to  remind  us,  (1.)  That 
the  least  we  can  do  when  we  have 
injured  a  fellow-being,  is  to  confess 
frankly  our  wrong,  and  ask  his  par- 


A.  C.  116L] 


CHAPTER  XI. 


m 


we  ^turn  again  to  thee  now,  that 
thou  niayest  go  with  us,  and 
fight  against  the  children  of  Am- 
nion, and  be  ^our  head  over  all 
the  inhabitants  of  Gilead. 

y  And  Jephthah  said  unto  the 
elders  of  Gilead,  If  ye  bring  me 
home  again  to  fight  against  the 
children    of    Ammon,    and   the 

f  Luke  17.  4.  g  ch.  10.  18 


don.  (2.)  That  we  should  beware 
of  despising  or  trampling  upon  any 
man,  so  as  to  make  him  our  enemy, 
for  we  know  not  how  much  need  we 
may  have  of  his  friendship  and  ser- 
vices before  we  die.  (3.)  That  men 
of  worth  who  are  undervalued,  dis- 
paraged, and  ill-treated  should  bear 
it  wijh  meekness  and  cheerfulness, 
leaving  it  to  God  to  vindicate  their 
good  name  in  his  own  way.  Their 
judgment  shall  finally  come  forth 
as  the  noon-day. 

9.  If  ye  bring  me  home  again.  If 
3'e  recall  me  from  the  place  where  I 
am  now  fixed,  to  the  place  from 
whence  I  was  expelled.  ^Shall  I 
he  your  head  ?  Not  only  your  leader 
in  this  war,  but  permanent  judge  and 
chief  magistrate.  Having  to  deal 
with  persons  whom  he  had  reason 
lo  distrust,  he  determines  to  bind 
them  to  their  compact  by  the  most 
unequivocal  assurances.  '  Jepthah's 
•wi.sdom  had  not  been  answerable 
to  his  valor,  if  he  had  not  made  his 
match  beforehand.  He  bargains 
therefore  for  his  sovereignty  ere  he 
win  it.'  Bp.  Hall.  In  all  our  agree- 
ments it  is  well  to  be  explicit  and  so- 
lemn, that  afterwards  there  may  be 
no  room  for  subterfuge  or  evasion. — 
As  the  service  before  him  was  one  in 
■which  he  would  naturally  endanger 
his  life,  he  deems  it  right  that  he 
should  be  duly  rewarded,  especially 
as  he  seems  to  have  thought  it  was 
only  in  this  way  that  he  could  effec- 
tually secure  himself  against  the 
treacherous  designs  of  his  brethren, 
-whose  ill  will  and  injuries  he  had 
once  experienced.  That  there  might 
also  have  been  some  tincture  of  am- 


LoRD  deliver  them  before  me, 
shall  I  be  your  head  1 

10  And*  the  elders  of  Gilead 
said  unto  Jephthah,  '^The  Lord 
be  witness  between  us,  if  we  do 
not  so  according  to  thy  words. 

11  Then  Jephthah  went  with 
the  elders  of  Gilead,  and  the  peo- 
pie  made  him  ihead  and  captain 

h  Jer.  42.  5.  i  ver.  8. 


bition  insinuating  itself  into  his  mo- 
tives, is  perhaps  not  improbable- 
The  spirit  of  pious  dependence,  how- 
ever, on  the  divine  blessing  argues 
strongly  in  favor  of  his  general  spi- 
rit. He  does  not  speak  with  confi- 
dence of  his  success,  but  qualifies  it 
with  a  peradventure.— '  if  the  Lord 
deliver  them  before  me,'— as  if  in- 
tending to  remind  his  countrymen, 
to  look  up  to  God,  as  he  himself  did 
as  the  giver  of  victory.  ' 

10.  The  Lord  be  witness  between  us. 
Heb.  'be  the  hearer  between  us.' 
They  confirm  their  promise  by  the 
solemnity  of  an  oath,  appealing  to 
God's  omniscience  as  the  judge  of 
their  present  sincerity,  and  to  his 
justice  as  an  avenger,  if  thev  should 
afterwards  prove  false  to  their  en- 
gagements. '  Whatever  we  speak, 
it  concerns  us  to  remember  that  God 
is  a  hearer,  and  to  speak  according- 
ly.'   Henry.  ^ 

11.  Then  Jepthah  went  with  the 
elders.  Thus  evincing  a^  generous 
forgetfulness  of  all  their  previous 
wrongs  and  indignities.  No  injuries 
should  make  us  implacable;  we  must 
forgive  as  we  hope  to  be  forgiven. 
^And  Jepthah  uttered  all  his  words  be- 
fore the  Lord  in  Mizpeh.  Or,  Heb.  'for 
Jepthah  uttered  all  his  words,  &c.' 
That  is  all  the  words  pertaining  to 
the  solemn  compact  wlfich  had  now 
been  entered  into.  The  words  seem 
to  be  inserted  to  explain  how  it  was 
that  the  people,  as  aflirmed  in  the 
preceding  clause,  made  him  head 
and  captain  over  them.  The  ar- 
rangement had  first  been  concluded 
upon  at  Gilead  between  Jepthah  and 
the  elders.    But  this  was  not  suffi- 


304 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1161. 


over  them  :  and  Jepbthah  utter- 
ed  all  his  words  ''before  the 
Lord  in  Mjzpeh. 

12  ^  And  Jephthah  sent  mes- 
sengers unto  the  king  of  the 
children  of  Ammon,  saying, 
What  hast  thou  to  do  with  me, 
that  thou  art  come  against  me,  to 
fight  in  m.y  land  '' 

13  And  the  king  of  the  chil- 
dren  of  Ammon  answered  unto 

It  ch.  10.  17.  &  20.  1.      1  Sam   10.  17.  &  11.  1.5. 

cient.  He  would  have  it  solemnly  re- 
peated and  ratified,  after  entering  the 
camp  at  Mizpeh,  between  .  himself 
and  the  whole  assembled  congrega- 
tion. In  order  to  give  it  the  utmost 
validity  and  preclude  all  future  mis- 
understanding, the  people  must  con- 
firm the  act  by  their  own  choice, 
and  this  is  said  to  have  been  done 
'  before  the  Lord,'  to  indicate  the  re- 
ligious and  solemn  manner  in  which 
the  transaction  was  conducted,  as  if 
under  his  immediate  inspection  and 
iianction.     See  on  Josh.  4.  13. 

12.  Jepthah  sent  messengers,  &c. 
A  measure  in  the  highest  degree 
honorable  to  the  equity,  prudence, 
and  piety  of  Jepthah,  who  herein 
conformed  to  the  rule  of  conduct 
prescribed  by  Moses,  Deut.  20.  10— 
18,  which  was,  not  to  make  war  with 
nations  out  of  Canaan,  till  messen- 
gers had  been  sent  with  proposals  of 
peace.  Though  a  mighty  man  of  va- 
lor, yet  he  delighted  not  in  war  for 
its  own  sake,  and  was  desirous,  if 
possible,  to  prevent  the  effusion  of 
blood  by  a  peaceable  accomodation. 
How  vastly  difierent  this  from  the 
spirit  of  most  military  chieftains  ! 
They  are  glad  to  seize  upon  any, 
even  the  slighest  pretexts  for  an  ap- 
peal to  arms.  But  here,  though  the 
newly  elected  captain  of  Israel 
might  perhaps  have  been  justified  in 
repelling  force  by  force  without  any 
preliminary  negociations,  yet  if  he 
can  by  showing  them  the  injustice  of 
their  conduct  persuade  the  invaders 
to  retire,  he  will  not  compel  them 


the  messengers  of  Jephthah, 
'Because  Israel  took  away  my 
land,  when  they  came  up  out  of 
Egypt,  from  Arnon  even  unto 
"Jubbok,  and  unto  Jordan  :  now 
therefore  restore  those  Iand& 
again  peaceably, 

14  And  Jephthah  sent  mes- 
sengers again  unto  the  king  of 
the  children  of  Ammon  : 

15  And  said  unto  him,  Thus- 

INnm.  21.  24,  25,  26.  m  Gen.  32.  22. 

by  the  sword.  If  the  children  of 
Ammon  could  convince  him  that  Is- 
rael had  done  them  wrong,  he  was 
ready  to  restore  the  rights  of  the  Am- 
monites ;  if  not,  it  was  plain  by  their 
invasion  that  they  did  Israel  wrong, 
and  he  should  by  no  means  submit 
to  it.  This,  though  in  an  Israelite., 
was  acting  under  the  influence  of 
that  religion  which  teaches  us  to  fol- 
low peace  M'ith  all  men,  and  never 
to  seek  redress  by  forcible  means 
till  every  fair  proposal  is  rejected. 
^  What  hast  thou  to  do  with  inc,  that 
thou  comest  against  me,  &c.  Spoken 
thus  in  the  first  person,  in  the  name 
both  of  God  and  of  Israel. 

13.  Because  Israel  took  away,  &c. 
One  who  seeks  a  pretext  for  a  "quar- 
rel will  never  be  at  a  loss  to  find  one  j 
yet  it  speaks  much  in  favor  of  the 
general  peaceableness  and  inoffen- 
siveness  of  Israel  towards  their 
neighbors,  that  their  enemies,  when 
intent  upon  hostilities  against  them, 
are  obliged  to  look  three  hundred 
years  back  for  a  specious  occasion. 
If  the  Ammonites  had  been  con- 
scious of  a  valid  claim,  theirdemand 
should  have  been  published  before  in- 
vading Israel.  But  we  have  no  inti- 
mation of  this,  and  the  claim  now  pre- 
ferred was  evidently  trumped  up  to 
serve  the  present  occasion,  as  afibrd- 
ing  a  colorable  pretence  of  justice  in 
the  invasion;  showing  that  they  who 
are  destitute  of  conscience  and  hon- 
esty, are  often  very  unwilling  to  ap- 
pear so.  Jepthah,  however,  in  what 
follows,  stripped  their  conduct  of  its- 


A.  C.  116L] 

saith  Jephthah,  "Israel  took  not 
away  the  land  of  Moab,  nor  the 
land  of  the  children  of  Ammon  : 

16  But  when  Israel  came  up 
from  Egypt,  and  "walked 
through  the  wilderness  unto  the 
Red  sea,  and  Pcame  to  Kadesh  ; 

17  Then  ^Israel  sent  messen- 
gers unto  the  king  ofEdom,  say- 
ing, Let  me,  I  pray  thee,  pass 
through  thy  land  :  ""but  the  king 
of  Edom  would  not  hearken 
thereto.  And  in  like  manner 
they  sent  unto  the  king  of  Moab  ; 
but  he  wouM  not  consent.  And 
Israel  ^abode  in  Kadesh. 

18  Th^-n  they  went  along 
through     the     wilderness,     and 

'compassed  the  land  of  Edom 

n  DeiU.  2.  9,  19.  o  Num.  11.  2.5.  Dent.  1.  10.  Josh- 
5.6.  p  \>in).  13.26  &  20.  1.  Deut  1.46.  q  Num- 
•2  J.  14.  r  Num.  20.  1!,  21.  s  Num.  20.  1.  t  Num. 
IX.i.    Deut.  2.  1—8. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


S05 


and  the  land  ofMoab,  and  "came 
by  the  east  side  of  the  land  of 
Moab,  ^and  pitched  on  the  other 
side  of  Arnon,  but  came  not 
within  the  border  of  Moab  :  for 
Arnon  ivas  the  border  of  Moab. 
lU  And  ^Israel  sent  messen- 
gers unto  Sihon  king  of  the 
Amorites,  the  king  of  Hesh- 
bon  ;  and  Israel  said  unto  him, 
'Let  us  pass,  we  pray  thee, 
through  thy  land  unto  my  place. 

20  '-'But  Sihon  trusted  not  Is- 
rael to  pass  through  his  coast  : 
but  Sihon  gathered  all  his  pro. 
pie  together,  and  pitched  in  Ja- 
haz,  and  fought  against  Israel. 

21  And  the  Lord  God  of  Is- 
rael   delivered    Sihon   and     all 

u  Num.21.  11.  X  Num.  21.  13.  &  22.  36.  y  Nnm" 
21.21.  Deut.  2.  26.  z  Num.  21.  22  Deut.  2.  V7 
a  Num.  21.  23.    Deut.  2.  32. 


specious  disguise,  and  showed  con- 
clusively how  false  and  arrogant 
were  their  pretensions.  ITMy  land. 
Speaking  in  the  name  both  of  the 
children  of  Ammon  and  Moab,  over 
whom  unitedly  he  seems,  at  this  time, 
to  have  reigned  as  king. 

15.  Israel  took  not  away,  &c.  In 
order  to  evince  beyond  dispute,  the 
falsehood  and  futility  of  the  enemy's 
claims  upon  these  lands,  Jepthah 
goes  into  recapitulation  of  the  lead- 
ing circumstances  of  Israel's  coming 
into  possession  of  them.  He  admits 
that  they  had  indeed  taken  the  ter- 
ritories in  question,  but  they  took 
them,  not  from  the  Ammonites  or 
Moabites,  whom  they  were  expressly 
forbidden  to  molest  on  their  march, 
but  finding  them  in  possession  of 
Sihon,  king  of  ihe  Amorites,  they 
took  them  from  him  in  just  and  hon- 
orable warfare,  in  consequence  of 
an  unprovoked  attack  upon  them. 
It  might,  indeed,  be  true  that  prior 
to  Israel's  arrival  in  the  country,  the 
Amorites  had  taken  these  lands  from 
the  Moabites  or  Ammonites,  Num. 


21.  26.  Josh.  13.  25,  but  this  was  no 
concern  oftheirs,norwere  they  bound 
to  recognise  the  previous  title  of  any 
people  whatever.  This  was  his  first 
plea  in  support  of  his  claims,  which 
extends  to  v.  22. 

17.  Then  Israel  sent  messengers, 
&c.  So  far  v.^ere  they  from  offering 
the  least  violence  to  the  children  of 
Esau  or  of  Lot,  that  when  refused  a 
passage  through  their  countries, 
though  able,  if  they  had  chosen  it, 
to  have  opened  their  way  by  force, 
they  rather  underwent  the  fatigue  of 
a  long  march  to  compass  their  terri- 
tories, than  to  set  a  foot  upon  them, 
much  less  to  seize  them  for  their 
own  use.  IT  In  like  manner  they  sent 
mito  the  Icing  of  Moab.  Of  this  de- 
putation, however,  the  history  no 
where  else  gives  us  any  account. 

20.  Trusted  7iot  Israel  to  pass 
through  his  coast.  That  is,  through 
his  dominions;  as  also,  V.  22.  The 
word  signifies  not  only  the  borders 
of  a  country,  but  the  territory  includ- 
ed in  them.  Those  who  are  them- 
selves conscious  of  a  disposition  fa 


306 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1161. 


his  people  into  the  hand  of  Isra- 
el,  and  they  ^smote  them  :  so  Is. 
rael  possessed  all  tlie  land  of  the 
Amorites,  the  inhabitants  of  that 
country. 

22  And  they  possessed  'all 
the  coasts  of  the  Amorites,  from 
Arnon  even  unto  Jabbok,  and 
from  the  wilderness  even  unto 
Jordan. 

23  So  now  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel  hath  dispossessed  the 
Amorites  from  before  his  people 

b  Num.  21.  2i   25.    Deul.  2.  33,  34.      c  Deut.  2.  36. 


oppress  jhe  [weak  and  take  undue 
advantages  of  the  simple,  will  gen- 
erally give  others  credit  for  being 
actuated  by  the  same  spirit,  and  con- 
sequently withhold  their  confidence 
in  circumstances  where  ihey  are 
sensible  they  could  not  be  confided 
in  themselves. 

23.  The  Lord  God  of  Israel  hath 
dispossessed  the  Amorites.  Another 
branch  of  Jepthah's  argument  in 
proof  of  Israel's  right  to  the  land. 
God  gave  them  the  country  by  giv- 
ing them  the  victory  over  him  who 
possessed  it.  The  great  Proprietor 
of  the  earth,  the  King  of  nations,  be- 
stowed it  upon  them  by  an  express 
and  particular  conveyance,  such  as- 
vested  in  them  a  title  that  none  could 
gainsay,  Deut.  2.  24,  '  I  have  given 
into  thy  hand  Sihon  and  his  land.' 
IT  Shouldest  thou  possess  it  ?  Heb. 
*  shouldest  thou  inherit  him  ;'  i.  e.  the 
Amorite;  the  nation,  according  to 
Heb.  idiom,  being  taken  for  the 
country  which  it  occupied.  He 
appeals  to  them  whether  they  could 
suppose  that  God  had  given  them  the 
land  in  such  an  extraordinary  man- 
ner, merely  in  order  that  they  should 
restore  it  again  \o  the  Ammonites 
or  Moabites. 

24.  Wilt  thou  not  possess  that  which 
Chemosh  thy  god  inveth  thee.  With- 
out really  attributing  any  divinity  to 
the  Aminonitish  idol,  Jepthah  here 


Israel,  and  shouldest  thou  p<js- 
sess  it? 

23  Wilt  not  thou  possf*.ss  that 
which  ''Chemosh  thy  god  giv. 
eth  thee  to  possess  ?  So  whom- 
soever 'the  Lord  our  God  shall 
drive  out  from  before  us,  them 
will  we  possess. 

25  And  now  art  thou  any 
thing  better  than  '"Balak  the  son 
of  Zippor  king  of  Moab  ?  did  he 
ever  strive  against  Israel,  or  did 
he  ever  fight  against  them, 

d  Num.  21.  29.  1  King..  1'.  7.  J^-r.  48.  7.  e  Den*. 
9.  4  5.  \  IS  12.  Jush.  3.  10-  f  Ntim.  22.  2.  See 
Josh  21.  9. 

argues  with  them  on  their  own  ad- 
mitted principles.  *  It  is  a  maxim 
with  you,  as  among  all  nations,  that 
the  lands  which  they  conceive  to  be 
given  by  their  gods,  they  have  an 
absolute  right  to,  and  should  not  re- 
linquish to  any  claimant  whatever. 
You  suppose  that  the  land  which 
you  possess  was  given  by  your  god 
"Chemosh,  and  therefore  you  will  not 
relinquish  what  you  belfere  yoa 
hold  by  a  divine  right.  In  like 
manner  we  are  fully  a.^sured  that 
Jehovah  our  God,  who  is  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth,  has  given  the  Is- 
raelites the  land  of  the  Amorites ; 
and  therefore  we  wUl  not  give  it  up.' 
The  ground  of  Jepthah's  remon- 
strance was  evidently  sound  and  im- 
pregnable. II  Them  will  we  possess. 
Heb . '  him  will  we  inherit :'  f .  e.  his 
or  their  land  ;  as  above,  v.  23. 

25.  Art  thou  any  better  than  Ba- 
lak? That  is,  probably  not  moral- 
Iv  better,  but  hast  thou  any  better 
title  1  Yet  Balak,  who  was  then 
king  of  Moab,  from  whom  the  great- 
est part  of  these  lands  had  been  tak- 
en by  the  Amorites,  who  had  most 
interest  in  the  matter,  and  was  best 
able  to  enforce  his  claim,  if  he  had 
thought  fit — Balak  did  not  once  ob- 
ject to  our  settlement  then,  nor  offer 
to  molest  us  in  the  enjoyment  of  our 
possessions.  If  he  then  acquiesced 
in  this  disposition  of  the  lands,  if  the 


A.  C.  1161.] 


CHAPTER  Xr. 


307 


28  While  Israel  dwelt  in 
sHeshbon  and  her  towns,  and  in 
^Aroer  and  her  towns,  and  in 
all  the  cities  that  be  along  by 
the  coasts  of  Arnon,  three  hun- 
dred years  ?  why  therefore  did 
ye  nut  recover  them  within  ti?.at 
time  ? 

27  Wherefore  I  have  not 
sinned  against  thee,  but  tliou 
doest  me  wrong  to  war  against 
nit;  :  tne  Loud   »the   Judge  ''be 


g  Num.  21.  25.   li  Deal.  2   36.  i  Gen.  18.  25.  k  Gen- 
16   .5.  i  ol  Si.     I  Sam.  24.  12,  15. 


title  of  Ifirael  had  not  been  disputed 
upon  iheir  first  entrance  upon  them, 
what  grounds  had  the  Ammonites  to 
do  it  now  '?  They  had  possesssd  the 
country  quietly  for  three  hundred 
years,  and  even  though  their  title 
had  been  less  clear  at  first,  yet  see- 
ing no  claim  had  been  made  during 
that  long  period  of  time,  they  had 
obtained  a  right  by  prescription, 
which  the  law  of  nations  would 
clearly  have  acknowledged.  A  title 
so  long  unquestioned  was  to  be  pre- 
sumed to  be  unquestionable.  The  fol- 
lowing therefore  is  the  sum  of  Jep- 
thah's  argument, relative  to  the  matter 
in  dispute.  (1.)  The  Ammonites  had 
lost  their  lands  in  their  contests  with 
the  Amorites.  (2.)  The  Israelites 
conquered  these  lands  from  the 
Amorites,  who  had  waged  an  un- 
principled war  against  them.  (3.) 
God,  the  JVIaker,  Proprietor  and 
Disposer  of  heaven  and  earth,  had 
given  these  lands  by  special  grant  to 
the  Israelites.  (4.)  In  consequence 
of  this,  they  had  had  possession  of 
them  for  upwards  of  three  hundred 
years.  (5.)  These  lands  were  never 
reclaimed  by  the  Ammonites,  though 
they  had  repeated  opportunities  to 
do  it,  whilst  the  Israelites  dwelt  in 
Heshbon,  in  Aroer,  and  the  coasts 
of  Arnon ;  but  they  did  not  reclaim 
them,  because  they  knew  the  Israel- 
ites held  them  legally.  Consequent- 
ly every  subsequent  claim  was  efiec- 


judge  this  day  between  the  chiU 
dren  of  Israel  and  the  chilaren 
of  Ammon. 

28  Howbeit,  the  king  ot'  the 
children  of  Ammon  hearkened 
not  unto  the  words  of  Jephthah 
which  he  sent  him. 

29  HThen  ithe  spirit  of  the 
Lord  came  upon  Jephthah  and  he 
passed  over  Giiead  and  Manas, 
seh,  and  passed  over  Mizpeh  of 
Giiead  and  from  Mizpeh  of  Giiead 


tually  barred,  and  the  present  pre- 
tensions of  Ammon  were  unsupport- 
ed and  unjustifiable. 

27.  The  Lord^  the  Judge,  bejvil;je 
this  day.  Not  by  pronouncing  sen- 
tence verbally  like  human  judges, 
but  by  awarding  the  victory  to  the 
side  which  he  sees  to  be  in  the  right. 
In  this  way  he  leaves  the  controver- 
sy to  be  decided.  When  we  have 
justice  and  truth  on  our  side,  we  may 
confidently  appeal  to  the  God  of 
truth  for  a  decision  in  our  favor. 

29.  The  spirit  of  the  Lord  came 
upon  him.  Endowing  him  in  an  ex- 
traordinary manner  for  the  work  be- 
fore him,  and  thus  giving  him  con- 
vincing testimony  that  his  cause  was 
good.  IT  Passed  over  Giiead,  &c. 
Or,  Heb.  '  passed  through  ;'  i.  e.  for 
the  purpose  of  collecting  recruits 
and  increasing  his  forces  to  the  ut- 
most, 

30.  Jepthah  vowed  avow,  &c.  Vows 
were  very  common  under  the  Mo- 
saic dispensation.  They  were  even 
encouraged  by  God  himself,  in  or- 
der that  his  people  might  have  op- 
portunities of  manifesting  the  love 
that  was  in  their  hearts,  by  oiferings 
that  were  not  enjoined, 'and  services 
that  were  not  commanded.  In  cases 
of  difficulty  or  distress,  where  it  ap- 
peared of  more  than  ordinary  im- 
portance to  secure  the  divine  favor 
and  protection,  the  patriarchs  of  old 
had  resorted  to  vows,  and   bound 


303 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.116L 


he  passed  over  unto  the  children 
of  Ammon. 


themselves,  in  case  he  should  vouch- 
safe to  them  the  desired  Dlessing,  to 
render  unto  him  according  to  the 
banefits  he  should  cooler  upon  them. 
Thus  Jacob,  when  he  had  just  left 
his  father  and  family  in  order  to 
seek  in  a  foreign  land  a  refuge  from 
his  brother's  vengeance,  vowed,  that 
if  the  Lord  would  be  with  him  and 
restore  him  to  his  home  in  peace,  he 
would  take  God  entirely  for  his  God, 
and  devote  to  him  a  tenth  of  all  that 
he  should  possess,  Gen.  28.  20—23. 
In  the  time  of  Moses  the  whole  peo- 
ple resorted  to  the  same  measure,  in 
order  to  obtain  success  against  the 
Canaanites,  Num.  21.  2.  This,  it 
must  be  confessed,  has  a  legal  ap- 
pearance, and  looks  like  offering  to 
make  a  bargain  with  God ;  but  vows 
may  certainly  be  made  in  perfect 
consistency  with  the  liberal  spirit  of 
the  ^Gospel ;  for  it  is  intimated  that 
under  the  Gospel,  yea  even  in  the  so 
termed  milleimial  age,  such  a  prac- 
tice should  obtain,  Is.  19.  21,  and  we 
know  that  Paul  both  made  a  vow 
himself,  Acts  18.  18,  and  united  with 
others  in  services  to  which,  by  a 
voluntary  engagement,  they  had 
bound  themselves.  It  is,  however, 
to  be  remarked  that  a  vow  to  be  ac- 
ceptable to  God,  must  have  respect 
to  things  in  themselves  lawful.  It 
cannot  cancel  a  former  obligation, 
or  superinduce  one  that  is  repugnant 
to  it.  All  our  obligations  to  obedi- 
ence proceed  from  God.  He  has  a 
supreme  right  to  give  laws  to  his 
creatures;  but  if  men,  by  entering 
into  vows,  could  free  themselves 
from  the  obligation  of  his  laws,  they 
might  then,  whenever  they  pleased, 
by  their  own  act  defeat  his  authority. 
Whatever  therefore  is  in  itself  for- 
bidden by  God,  and  for  that  reason 
unlawful,  cannot,  by  being  made  the 
matter  of  a  vow,  become  justifiable. 
So  that  he  who  has  vowed  to  do 
what  cannot  be  done  without  sin,  is 
so  far  from  being  obliged  to  perform 
his  vow,  that  he  is,  notwithstanding 


30  And  Jephthah    •"vowed   a 
vow  unto  the  Lord,  and  said,  If 

m  Gen.  28.  20.     1  Sam.  I.  11. 

his  vow,  obliged  not  to  perform  it  • 
the  original  wrong  of  making  such 
a  vow  being  greatly  aggravated  by 
keeping  it.  Now  in  applying  these 
remarks  to  the  case  of  Jepthah,  no- 
thing is  clearer  than  that  human 
sacrifices  w^ere  ever  an  abomination 
to  the  Lord,  and  thai  he  had  again 
and  again  interdicted  them,  with  the 
strongest  expressions  of  abhorrence 
and  reprobation.  Deut.  12.  31.  In- 
deed it  was  one  of  the  grand  reasons 
assigned  for  driving  out  the  Canaan- 
ites, that  they  were  in  the  habit  of 
offering  their  sons  and  daughters  \o 
Moloch  in  the  fire,  i.  e.  of  making 
burnt  offerings  of  them,  as  is  reason- 
ably to  be  inferred.  It  cannot  be 
doiibted,  therefore,  that  if  Jepthah 
really  vowed  such  an  offering  to  the 
Lord,  it  was  utterly  unlawful  for 
him  to  perform  it.  His  duty  would 
have  been  to  humble  himself  before 
God,  and  deeply  repent  of  having 
entertained  for  a  moment  such  a  cri- 
minal purpose.  But  the  intrinsic 
character  of  such  a  vow,  supposing 
Jepthah  made  it,  is  one  thing,  and 
its  moral  quality  as  issuing  from,  a 
mind,  in  such  a  state  as  his  then  was, 
is  another.  The  vow  itself  may  have 
been  unlawful,  and  yet  in  making- 
it  he  may  not  have  been  aware  of 
its  real  nature.  Though  his  mo- 
tives may  have  been  devout,  and  in 
a  measure  acceptable  to  heaven,  yet 
he  may  have  uttered  it  in  great  dark- 
ness and  ignorance.  Let  the  cir- 
cumstances of  his  case  be  consider- 
ed. Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  he 
was  born  in  a  loose  and  degenerate 
period  of  the  Israelitish  nation,  and 
that  he  was  bred  up  beyond  Jordan, 
far  from  the  tabernacle,  and  in  the 
near  neighborhood  of  heathen  tribes, 
with  whose  idolatrous  practices  he 
would  naturally  become  familiar. 
Under  these  circumstances,  in  a 
foreign  land,  and  associated  with  a 
band  of  outlaws  and  freebooters  who 
lived  by  rapine  and  violence,  is  it  to 
be  wondered  at,  that  he  should,  pre- 


A.  C.  1143.] 


CHAPTER  XI 


309 


thou  shalt  without  fail  dehver 
the  children  of  Ammon  into  my 
hands, 


vioiis  Jo  his  appointment  as  leader  of 
Israel,  have  sunk  into  a  state  of 
semi-paganism  from  which  he  had 
by  no  means  recovered,  everi  at  the 
time  of  his  signal  victory  over  the 
Ammonites  ?  And  in  this  benight- 
ed state,  is  it  not  easily  conceivable 
that  he  might  have  thought  to  pro- 
pitiate Jehovah  by  such  a  kind  of 
offering  as  was  sometimes  presented 
b}''  heathen  worshippers,  especially 
if  we  suppose  he  was  further  influ- 
enced by  some  confused  recollections 
of  Abraham's  intended  sacrifice  of 
Isaac  by  divine  command  1  Would 
it  bs  unnatural  for  a  man  thus  im- 
perfec:ly  instructed,  on  the  eve  of 
an  important  battle,  in  an  excited 
state  of  mind,  and  under  the  promp- 
tings of  a  blind  zeal, to  bind  himself, 
on  condition  of  his  success,  to  evince 
his  gratitude  by  what  he  conceived 
a  heroical  and  almost  superhuman 
act  of  devotion '?  To  us  there  is  no- 
thing violent  or  forced  in  the  suppo- 
sition ;  nothing  inconsistent  wiih  the 
general  tenor  of  the  narrative  -,  and 
in  forming  a  correct  estimate  of  his 
conduct  on  the  occcasion,  it  is  ex- 
ceedingly important,  if  possible,  to 
ascertain  the  real  state  of  mind  by 
xokich  it  loas  prompted  ;  for  it  is  only 
in  this,  that  we  can  find  an  adequate 
clew  to  the  right  interpretation  of 
his  vow.  Before  entering,  however, 
upon  the  more  particular  explication 
of  this,  it  may  be  well  to  advert  for  a 
moment  to  the  different  kinds  of 
vows  in  use  among  the  Jews,  and 
determine,  if  possible,  to  what  class 
of  them  this  of  Jepthah  properly  be- 
longed. Of  these  the  most  important 
was  the  cherem  (o-.n),  which  was 
accompanied  by  an  execration,  and 
answered  to  the  aiiathevia  of  the 
Septuagint  and  the  Greek  Testa- 
ment. The  person  or  thing  thus 
vowed  unto  the  Lord,  was  said  to  be 
*  devoted'  to  him,  and  could  not  be 
redeemed,  Lev.  27.  28.  When  it 
respected  persons^  or  animals  of  any 
<w7 


31  Then  it  shall  be,  that 
whatsoever  cumeth  forth  of  the 
doors  of  my  house  to  meet  me, 


kind,  it  implied  that  they  were  devo- 
ted to  destruction ;  but  when  it  re- 
spected things,  it  implied  that  they 
were  either  to  be  utferly  consumed  by 
fire,  or  to  be  irrevocably  dedicated  to 
the  Lord  for  religious  purposes.  In 
its  application  to  persons  it  seems  to 
have  been  restricted  to  heathens^ 
aliens,  and  enemies  of  God,  as  the 
Amelekites,  Canaanites,  &c.,  Judg. 
L  17.  Num.  21.  1 — 3,  nor  do  we  any 
where  read  that  a  father  or  a  master 
of  a  family  was  ever  authorised  thus 
to  anathematize,  execrate,  and  de- 
vote to  destruction  one  of  his  own 
household.  The  utter  destruction  of 
Jericho  with  all  that  it  contained, 
excepting  Rahab,  affords  a  striking 
example  of  the  cherem.  Its  grand 
feature  was,  that  in  no  case  could  its 
objects,  whether  persons  or  things, 
b3  properly  redeemed  from  the  use, 
condition,  or  destiny  to  which  they 
had  been  devoted.  In  this  respect 
it  differed  from  a  second  and  milder 
kind  of  vow,  usually  termed  neder 
("1":))  by  which  one  engaged  to  per- 
form some  particular  act  of  piety, 
as  for  instance  to  bring  an  offering 
to  God,  or  otherwise  to  dedicate  any 
thing  to  him.  The  objects  of  this 
sort  of  vow  were  various,  as  clean 
or. unclean  beasts,  lands,  the  tithes  of 
lands,  houses,  and  the  person  of  the 
vower  himself ;  of  all  which  we  have 
a  detailed  account.  Lev.  27.  These 
various  objects,  with  the  single  ex- 
ception of  clean  beasts,  might  be  re- 
deemed  at  the  rate,  and  on  the  condi- 
tions specified  in  that  chapter.  Now 
it  is  supposed  by  many  critics  that 
the  vow  of  Jepthah  is  to  be  classed 
under  this  head.  The  sacred  writer 
in  speaking  of  it  says,  -n^  "I'T'i  dvA 
he  vowed  a  neder,  not  a  cherem,^  and 
consequently,  they  say,  it  was  such 
a  vow  as  he  might  have  redeemed 
by  paying  the  prescribed  ransom  of 
thirty  shekels,  which  was  the  fixed 
estimation  for  a  female,  Lev.  27.  4. 
But  to  this  it  is  replied  by  Roien- 


310 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1143. 


vhen  I  return  in  peace  from  the 
children  of  Ammon,  "shall  sure- 


n  See  Lev.  27.  2,3    &c. 


1  Snm.  1.  11,28.  &  2.  18- 


muller,  that  the  ierms  nadar,  to  vow, 
and  neder,  a  vow,  are  generic,  com- 
prehending both  the  redeemable  and 
irredeemable  class  of  vows.  In 
proof  of  this  he  cites  Num.  21.  2, 
where  immediately  after  the  words, 
'  And  Israel  voiced  a  voiv  (-i-;3  it^i) 
unto  the  Lord,'  &.c.,  it  is  added, 
'  these  I  will  utterly  dealroy  {•^'^^^^f^'pf) 
their  cities,'  from  which  it  plainly 
appears  that  the  cherem  may  be  com- 
prised under  the  neder,  though  every 
neder  was  not  a  cherem.  As  there- 
fore the  words  alone  do  not  enable 
us  to  determine  satisfactorily  the 
nature  of  the  vow,  it  must  be  gather- 
ed from  the  circumstances.  For  our- 
selves, after  an  attentive  considera- 
tion of  all  the  incidents  connected 
with  the  transaction,  we  are  brought 
to  the  conclusion,  that  as  far  as  Jep- 
thah  in  making  the  vow  had  any 
statute  of  the  divine  law  in  his  mind, 
it  was  rather  that  of  the  cherem 
than  of  the  simple  neder ;  that  his 
predominant  idea  was  that  of  the  ir- 
revocable devoiement  to  death  of  the 
object  contemplated  in  his  vow.  But 
after  all  it  may  well  be  doubted, 
whether  Jepthah  had  his  eye  upon 
any  particular  precept  or  provision 
of  the  Mosaic  code.  For  the  reason 
before  mentioned,  we  imagine  his 
acquaintance  with  the  law  was  ex- 
tremely limited  ;  that  the  distinction 
between  the  different  classes  of  vows 
was  a  matter  of  which  he  had  little 
or  no  conception ;  and  that  he  was 
prompted  at  the  moment  far  more  by 
a  superstitious  impulse,  than  by  a 
zeal  according  to  knowledge.  He 
knew  in  the  gross  that  vows  were 
recogn.ised  in  the  religious  institutes 
of  his  people;  that  there  was  such 
a  thing  as  a  person's  being  devoted 
without  redemption  to  God;  and 
that  such  a  vow,  when  taken,  was 
sacredly  binding;  and  this  we  con- 
ceive was  about  the  sum  of  his 
knowledge  on  the  subject.  Possess- 
ing then  this  very  partial  degree  of 
light,  and  actuated  by  an    intense 


ly  be  the  Lord's,  "and   I   will 
offer  it  up  for  a  burnt-offering. 


solicitude  as  to  the  result  of  the  en* 
gagement,  he  seems  to  have  rushed 
precipitately  into  the  assumption  of 
a  vow,  which  proved  a  fearful  snare 
to  his  soul.  That  he  became,  how- 
ever, subsequently  more  enlightened 
as  to  the  import  of  the  vow,  and  dis- 
covered a  mode  of  dispensation  from 
the  literal  execution  of  it,  we  shall 
endeavor  to  show  in  the  sequel. 
But  we  are  treating,  at  present,  solely 
of  his  intention  at  the  time,  which, 
if  we  mistake  not,  was  just  that 
which  the  reader  would  naturally 
apprehend  from  the  simple  letter  of 
the  text.  This  we  trust  will  be  still 
more  clearly  illustrated  in  the  notes 
that  follow. 

31.  Whatsoever  comcth  forth.  Or, 
Heb.  '  whosoever  cometh  forth.' 
The  rendering  given  to  these  words 
will  no  doubt  be  governed  in  great 
measure  by  the  translator's  views  of 
the  real  nature  of  the  vow  uttered 
on  this  occasion;  as  whether  it  had 
reference  primarily  to  a  human  being 
or  a  brute  animal.  To  us  the  form- 
er appears  decidedly  the  most  prob- 
able. Admitting  that  the  Heb.js::r:'^n 
which  cometh  forth  may  apply  equal- 
ly to  men  or  animals,  yet  the  phrase 
'  cometh  forth  to  meet,'  seems  to  im- 
ply an  intelligent  act,  a  comivs  forth 
icilh  a  desiirn,  vrhich  could  scarcely 
be  predicated  of  any  but  a  huiuan 
being.  Moreover,  how  unlikely  was 
it  that  any  of  the  animals  allowed 
for  sacrifice  should  come  forth  from 
'  the  doors  of  his  house  ;'  to  say  no- 
thing of  the  probability  that  a  dog  or 
some  unclean  animal  might  meet 
him,  which  could  neither  lawfully 
be  consecrated  to  the  Lord,  nor  of- 
fered as  a  burnt  sacrifice.  yi Shall 
surely  be  the  Lord's,  and  I  will  offer 
it  up  for  a  burnt  offering.  As  much 
depends,  in  forming  a  judgment  of 
the  real  character  of  Jepthah's  vow, 
upon  the  correct  explication  of  the 
terms  in  which  it  was  made,  it  will 
be  proper  here  to  advert  to  the  lead- 
ing opinions    of  commentators  on 


CHAPTER  XL 


A.  C.  1143.] 


this  point.    These  may  be  ascertain- 1 
ed  iVom  the  four  following  proposed  j 
modes  of  rendering,  each  of  which 
has  had  its  zealous  advocates,  whose 
collective  treatises  on    the    subject 
would  amount  to  several  volumes. 

(1.)  The  first  is  that  given  above ; 
*  Wlwsoever  cometh  out  of  the  doors 
of  my  house  to  meet  me,  when  I  re- 
turn from  the  children  of  Ammon, 
shall  be  the  Lord's,  and  I  will  offer 
kira  up  for  a  burnt  offering.' 

(2.)  The  second  is  that  adopted  in 
the  text  of  our  common  English  Bi- 
bles;— '  Whatsoever  cometh  out  of 
the  doors  of  my  house,  &c.,  shall  be 
the  Lord's,  and  I  will  offer  it  up  for 
a  burnt  offering.' 

(3.)  The  third  is  that  given  in  the 
margin  of  the  English  Bible  ; — 
'  Whatsoever  cometh  out  of  the  doors 
of  my  house,  &c.,  shall  be  the  Lord's, 
or  I  will  offer  it  up  foi  a  burnt  offer- 
ing.' 

(4.)  The  fourth  was  proposed  about 
sixty  years  since  by  Dr.  Randolph, 
and  is  this ; — '  Whosoever  cometh 
out  of  the  doors  of  my  house,  &c., 
shall  be  the  Lord's,  and  I  will  offer 
(to)  Him  (viz.  the  Lord)  a  burnt  of- 
fering.' 

Of  these,  the  first  is  that  adopted 
by  the  Beptuagint  and  Vulgate  ver- 
sions, and  is  undoubtedly  the  sense 
which  the  words  of  the  original,  if 
viewed  in  themselves,  apart  from  any 
moral  considerations,  do  most  natur- 
ally present.  That  this  rendering 
supposes  Jeplhah  to  have  had  a  hu- 
man sacrifice  in  his  thoughts  when 
he  made  the  vow,  is  undeniably  true, 
and  without  doing  violence  to  the 
letter  we  know  not  how  to  avoid  this 
conclusion.  We  are  aware  that  it 
is  objected  to  this,  that  Jepthah  was 
at  this  time  undoubtedly  a  pious 
man,  for  it  is  said  in  the  immediate 
connection  that  he  was  under  the 
influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  it 
cannot  be  supposed  that  such  a  man, 
under  such  an  influence,  could  deli- 
berately  vow  to  God  that  he  would 
commit  murder — that  he  would  vow 
to  put  to  death  the  first  person  who 
should  come  forth  to  congratulate 
him,  whether  it  might  be  man,  wo- 


11 


man,  or  child,  yea  even  if  it  should 
be  his  own,  his  only,  daughter.     But 
to  say  nothing  of  ihe  impropriety 
of  applying  the  invidious  term  mur- 
der to  jepthah's  inteiUion^  we  do  not 
think  much  stress  can  be  laid  upon 
the  fact  of  his  being  said  to  be  at  this 
time  under  the  influence  of  the  Spi- 
rit of  God,  for  it  does  not  appear 
that  this  phrase,  as  used  by  the  Old 
Testament  writers,  indicates  by  any 
means  such  a  kind  of  influence  as  is 
intended  in  the  New  Testament  by 
one's  being  led,  prompted,  governed 
by  the  Holy  Spirit.    In  the  latter 
case  it  denotes  mainly  a  moral,  spir- 
itual, sanctifying  influence ;  in  the 
forjjier,   it  simply  implies    the    di- 
vine bestowment  of  remarkable  g^fts 
w\iQi\ieT  physical  or  intelkctufil ,  for 
the   performance    of    a    particular 
work,  or  the  discharge  of  a  particu- 
lar office.    The  endowments  indica- 
ted by  it  were  seated  rather  in  the 
head  and  the  body,  than  in  the  heart, 
so  that  taken  by  itself  it  affords  us  no 
clew  to  the  moral  character  or  actians 
of  the  subject  of  it.    A  similar  train 
of  remark  is  applicable  also  to  an- 
other objection  urged  on  the  ground 
of  Jepthah's  being  enrolled  by  Paul, 
in  the  eleventh  of  Hebrews,  among 
the  eminent  men  who  had  obtained 
a  good  report  through  faith.    This 
is    supposed   to   afford    conclusive 
proof  that  he  was  a  good  man,  and 
therefore  that  he  could  not  have  been 
guilty  of  a  conduct  so  contrary  to  the 
divine  law.      But  it  is  extremely 
doubtful  whether  the  faith  celebrat- 
ed in  that  chapter,  was  in  ever)'  in- 
stance a  justifying  and  saving  faith, 
in  relation  to  the  individuals  men- 
tioned.   The  apostles's  object  seems 
to  be  merely  to  illustrate  the  power  of 
a  firm  belief  in  the  divine  testivwny, 
which  may  doubtless  exist  separate 
from  a  renewed  heart.    We  learn 
elsewhere,  from  the  same  authority, 
that  a  man  might  have  the  faith  of 
miracles  so  as  to  remove  mountains, 
and  yet  not  be  a  good  man.    We  do 
not  affirm  that  Jepthah  was  not  a 
good  man,  yet  we  derive  no  abso- 
lute assurance  from  the  simple  fact 
of  his  pulling  a  strong  faith  in  the 


313 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1148- 


divine  promises,  that  he  was  an  emi- 
nent saint,  and  incapable  of  making 
such  a  vow  as  we  hav^e  supposed 
above.  The  objecdons,  therefore, 
drawn  from  these  sources  against 
the  interpretation  now  recited  do 
not  seem  to  carry  wiih  them  any 
great  weight.  Jeplhah  may  still 
have  meant  to  vow  that  he  would  of- 
fer up  a  human  sacrifice.  But  that 
such  a  sacrifice  was  aciuaUy  made 
does  not,  we  conceive,  necessarily 
follow  irom  this  admission.  Of 
this,  however,  more  in  the  sequel. 

The  second  rendering,  which  is 
that  of  the  translators  of  the  English 
Bible,  is  liable  perhaps  to  no  serious 
grammatical  objection,  though,  we 
think,  less  punctiliously  faithful  to 
the  original  than  the  former,  for  the 
reasons  stated  in  the  previous  note. 
It  is,  however,  the  view  given  by 
Josephus,  who  makes  Jepihah  pro- 
mise to  '  offer  in  sacrifice  what  liv- 
ing creature  soever  should  first  meet 
him,'  and  he  affirms  that  the  vow,  in 
that  sense,  was  executed  by  him  ;  '  he 
sacrificed  his  daughter  as  a  burnt 
offering,  offering  such  an  oblation 
as  was"  neither  conformtble  to  the 
law,  nor  acceptable  to  God.'  The 
same  sense  is  given  by  the  Targum 
of  Jonathan,  and  is  perhaps  the  sense 
which  has  on  its  side  the  balance  of 
authorities,  both  Jewish  and  Chris- 
tian. But  the  question,  whether  Jep- 
thah  actually  sacrificed  his  daughter, 
is  still  to  be  decided  on  grounds  in- 
dependent of  the  balance  of  author- 
ity as  to  the  literal  purport  of  the 
vow. 

The  celebrated  Rabbi,  David 
Kimchi,  who  flourished  in  the  twelfth 
century,  seems  to  have  been  the  first 
who  p'^oposed  the  third  translation, 
or  that  given  in  the  margin  of  the 
English  Bible.  Accordmg  to  this 
interpretation,  the  Heb.  copulative  i 
and  is  to  be  translated  or,  and  the 
sense  of  the  vow  will  then  be; 
'  Whatsoever  cometh  out  of  the  doors 
of  my  house,  I  will,  if  it  be  a  thing 
fil  for  a  burnt  offering,  make  it  one ; 
or,  if  not,  will  consecrate  it  to  his 
service.'  This  would  suppose  him, 
in  making  the  vow,  to  have  had  a 


mental  reserve,  which  would  allow 
him  to  act  as  the  exigency  of  the  case 
might  require.  It  gives  him  an  al- 
iernaiixc  which  by  the  other  mode 
of  rendering  is  effectually  precluded. 
This  construction,  however,  is  cer- 
tainly lioble  to  a  very  important 
grammatical  objection.  Though  it  is 
unqucstioucble  that  the  particle -|  is 
sometimes  used  as  a  disjunctive,  and 
propel ly  rendered  '  or,'  as  Ex.  12.  5, 
'hand  or  foot;'  21.  15,  'father  or 
mother;'  2  Sam.  2.  19,  'right  hand 
or  left,'  yet  it  may  be  doubted  wheth- 
er it  is  ever  used  to  disjoin  things 
so  completely  as  this  translation 
supposes.  Gussetius  (Cornm.  Ling. 
Ebr.)  contends  that  to  give  -\  a  dis- 
junctive force,  it  is  essential  that  the 
terms  between  which  it  stands  should 
not  be  related  as  genus  and  species, 
or  the  one  merr.ber  comprehending 
the  other,  as  otherwise  it  would  be 
as  absurd  as  to  say,  '  Thou  shalt  not 
injure  a  man  or  his  head,'  the  one 
term  evidently  including  the  other. 
So  in  the  present  instance,  the  clause 
'  It  shall  be  the  Lord's,'  is  obviously, 
he  affirms,  the  general,  while  'It, 
shall  be  offered  up  for  a  burnt  offer- 
ing,' is  merely  the  included  particu- 
lar, indicating  the  special  manner  in 
M'hich  it  shall  be  the  Lord's.  This 
we  cannot  but  regard  as  the  inter- 
pretation required  on  strict  philolo- 
gical principles,  and  if  the  passage 
were  rendered, '  It  shall  be  the  Lord's 
eren  I  will  offer  it  up  for  a  burnt 
offering,'  it  would  come,  we  believe, 
still  nearer  to  the  genuine  force  of 
the  original.  We  assent,  therefore, 
to  the  remark  of  Noble,  (Plen.  In- 
spir.)  that  'this  rendering  is  ex- 
tremely forced  and  harsh,  and  one 
which  critics  haveacquiesced  in  on- 
ly to  get  rid  of  what  they  esteemed  a 
greater  difficulty.  It  also  makes 
the  second  clause  of  the  vow  entire- 
ly unnecessary ;  for  if  Jeplhah 
meant  to  say,  that  whatsoever  came 
out  of  his  house  should  be  consecrat- 
ed to  the  Lord,  in  such  a  manner  as 
was  suitable  to  its  nature,  this  is 
fully  conveyed  in  the  first  clause; 
and  the  addition  of  the  second,  se- 
parated by  or  J  instead  of  helping  to 


A.  C.  1143.] 


CHAPTER  XI. 


313 


determine  his  meaning,  is  of  no  use 
but  CO  perplex  it.'  For  these  reasons 
we  are  compelled  to  reject  the  third 
hypothesis,  as  wholly  unsustained 
by  a  just  philological  support. 

The  fourth  and  last,  is  Dr.  Ran- 
dolph's rendering, '  Whosoever  Com- 
eth out,  &c.,  shall  be  the  Lord's,  and 
I  will  offer  (to)  Him  a  burnt  offer- 
ing.' According  to  this  translation, 
Jepthah's  vow  will  consist  of  two 
parts.  The  first,  that  whatsoever 
person  or  object  should  come  forth  of 
his  doors  to  meet  him  shouldsurely  be 
the  Lord's  ;  i.  e.  should  be  dedicated^ 
consecrated  for  ever  to  his  service. 
The  second,  that  he  would,  beside 
this,  offer  to  Jehovah  a  burnt  offer- 
ing. According  to  the  rendering  in 
in  our  common  version,  the  very 
same  object  or  person  who  should 
'  surely  be  the  Lord's,'  was  to  be  of- 
fered up  for  a  burnt  offering.  Ac- 
cording to  that  now  proposed,  they 
were  to  be  different  objects.  This 
explanation  appeared  to  Bp.  Lowth 
so  signally  happy  and  conclusive, 
that  he  speaks  of  it  as  having  '  per- 
fectly cleared  up  a  difficulty,  which 
for  two  thousand  years  had  puzzled 
all  the  translators  and  expositors,  had 
given  occasion  to  dissertations  with- 
out number,  and  caused  endless  dis- 
putes among  the  learned.'  Such  a 
commendation,  from  such  a  source, 
undoubtedly  entitles  the  proposed 
explanation  to  great  respect,  but  it 
has  still  failed  to  satisfy  the  mass  of 
commentators,  and  as  we  think  for 
very  good  reasons.  The  sense 
hereby  given  to  the  original  is  not 
warranted  by  common  usage.  The 
Hebrew,  it  will  be  observed,  is 
nb"i5  in'^D'^bS'm  where  the  prefixed 
pronoun  in  is  joined  to  the  verb  to 
express  the  thing  offered,  and  not 
another  example  can  be  found,  in 
which  verbs  oi offering  or  sacrificing 
are  accompanied  with  a  suflSx  pro- 
noun denoting  tke  Being  to  tu/iom 
the  offering  is  made.  On  the  con- 
trary, instances  of  a  precisely  paral- 
lel usage  to  the  present  are  of  no  un- 
common occurrence.  Thus  1  Sam. 
7.  9,  '  Then  Samuel  took  a  sucking 
lamb,  and  offered  it  {for)  a  burnt 
27* 


offering  {^'^'^'S  Ifl^^^l)  wholly  to  the 
Lord.'  See  also  2  Kings  3.  27, 
where  we  meet  with  a  case  exceed- 
ingly similar  to  this  of  Jepthah. 
What  Jepthah,  according  to  the 
most  direct  import  of  his  words,  is 
supposed  to  have  promised  to  do,  the 
king  of  Moab,  when  sore  pressed  by 
the  kings  of  Israel,  Judah,andEdom, 
is  affirmed  actually  to  have  done  ;  and 
in  precisely  the  same  words,  joined  in 
the  same  construction  ;  '  Then  took 
he  his  eldest  son  that  should  have 
reigned  in  his  stead,  and  offered  him 
(for)  a  burnt  offering  (n^y  inv^^*^*!) 
upon  the  wall.'  These  words  differ 
from  Jepthah's  only  in  the  mood, 
tense,  and  person  of  the  verb,  and  in 
the  common  variety  in  spelling  of 
the  noun,  the  same  suffix  ^n  and  ap- 
parently in  the  same  relation  being 
used  in  each. 

On  the  whole  we  are  constrained 
to  dissent  from  this,  as  well  as  the 
preceding  interpretation,  and  to  ac- 
knowledge, that  after  all  the  labors 
of  the  learned,  nothing  satisfactory 
has  yet  been  produced  to  fix  a  sense 
upon  the  passage,  which  should  ex- 
clude the  idea  that  a  human  sacri- 
fice was  either  intended  by  the  vow, 
or  might  be  its  unintended  result.  It 
is  still  undeniable  that  the  old  com- 
mon translation,  sanctioned  by  the 
venerable  Sepuagint  version,  is  that 
which  naturally  flows  from  the 
words,  if  taken  in  their  legitimate 
construction.  Certain  too  it  is,  that 
if  Jepthah  had  spoken  English,  and 
had  said, '  Whosoever  cometh  out  of 
the  doors  of  my  house,  &c.,  shall  be 
the.  Lord's,  and  I  will  offer  him  up 
for  a  burnt  offering;'  and  these 
words  had  been  translated  from 
English  into  Hebrew,  they  could  not 
otherwise  have  been  exactly  render- 
ed than  by  the  very  words  which 
now  stand  in  the  Hebrew  Bible.  At 
the  same  time,  as  we  shall  presently 
endeavor  to  show,  though  we  do  not 
doubt  that  this  language  expresses 
fairly  what  was  in  Jepthah's  mind 
at  the  time  of  making  the  vow,  yet 
whether  he  actually  executed  the  vow 
I  in  this  sense  of  it,  admits  of  very  seri- 
1  ous  question.    See  farther  pn  v.  39. 


314 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1143. 


32  If  So  Jephthah  passed 
over  unto  the  children  of  Am- 
mon  to  fight  against  them  :  and 
the  Lord  delivered  them  into  his 
hands. 

33  And  he  smote  them  from 
Aroer  even  till  thou  come  to 
pMinniih,  even  twenty  cities,  and 

p  Ezeif.  27.  17. 


32.  Jepihah  passed  over  unto.  That 
is,  passed  through  or  over  the  inter- 
mediate regions  lying  between  him 
and  the  enemy. 

33.  Thus  the  children  of  Amman 
were  subdued,  &c.  Heb.  njj;::''  were 
greatly  humbled,  or,  if  we  may  be  al- 
lowed to  fabricate  a  term  for  the  pur- 
pose, ^ivere  Canaanized,''  i.  e.  made 
to  share  the  fate  of  the  Canaanites  ; 
which  to  a  Hebrew  ear  would  be 
precisely  the  import  of  the  original. 
How  far  his  success  on  this  occasion 
is  to  be  construed  as  an  answer  to 
his  prayers,  and  a  token  of  the  di- 
vine acceptance  of  his  vow,  it  is  not 
possible  to  determine.  By  some  it  is 
considered  a  strong  argument  in  fa- 
vor of  the  milder  view  which  is  tak- 
ken  of  the  vow.  '  Would  God,"  it  is 
asked,  '  have  sanctioned  in  this  man- 
ner a  gross  act  of  deliberate  murder  1 
Would  not  this  have  been  the  very 
way  to  deceive  his  people,  and  to 
make  them  think  he  was  pleased 
with  such  offerings  as  the  heathen 
presented  unto  Moloch  1  And  when 
in  future  ages,  he  punished  his  peo- 
ple for  offering  human  sacrifices, 
might  they  not  justly  have  pleaded, 
that  he  in  this  instance,  had  both  ap- 
proved and  rewarded  ihemV  To 
this  we  answer,  that  the  public  in- 
terest of  the  whole  Jewish  people 
was  more  regarded  in  the  bestow- 
ment  of  the  victory,  than  ihe  private 
hopes  or  wishes  of  Jepihah.  Un- 
worthy or  faulty  instruments  were  of- 
ten employed  "by  the  Most  High  in 
effecting  his  kind  purposes  for  Is- 
rael, and  we  see  no  reason  to  doubt 
that  the  result  would  have  been  the 
same  with  the  same  means,  even  had 


unto  the  plain  of  the  vineyards, 
with  a  very  great  slaughter. 
Thus  the  children  of  Amnion 
were  subdued  before  the  children 
of  Israel. 

34  H  And  Jephthah  came  to 
"^Mizpeh  unto  his  house,  and  be- 
hold, '"his  daughter  came  out  to 

g  ch.  10  17    &  ver.  11.     r  Ex.  15.  20.    1  Sam.  18.  6* 

Ps.  68.  -25.    Jer.  31   4. 


no  vow  whatever  been  uttered. 
Moreover,  it  is  a  high  presumption 
in  weak  mortals  to  read  in  the  events 
of  providence  a  proof,  thai  God 
makes  himself  a  parly  to  compacts 
of  their  own  voluntary  proposing, 
let  them  be  ever  so  well  intended. 
His  counsels  are  a  great  deep,  and 
it  is  at  our  peril  that  we  put  such 
unauthorised  constructions  upon  his 
dispensations.  '  No  man  knoweth 
either  love  or  hatred  by  all  that  is 
before  them.' 

34.  With  timbrels  and  with  dances. 
From  this,  and  from  1  Sam.  18.  6, 
where  David's  triumphal  return  from 
the  defeat  of  Goliath  and  the  Philis- 
tines is  mentioned,  it  appears  to  have 
been  an  ancient  custom  for  women 
to  go  forth  to  meet  returning  con- 
querors with  musical  instruments, 
songs,  and  dances.  Jepthahs  daugh- 
ter, on  this  occasion,  undoubtedly 
came  forth,  not  alone,  but  at  the  head 
of  a  band  or  choir  of  maidens,  who 
joined  with  her  in  these  joyful  con- 
gratulations. ^{  She  2fas  his  only 
child.  This  circumstance  is  men- 
tioned to  point  out  an  additional 
cause  of  the  poignancy  of  his  dis- 
tress. It  is  well  known  how  intense- 
ly anxious  the  Hebrews  were  for 
posterity,  and  as  Jepthah  could  only 
hope  for  descendants  through  his 
daughter,  the  sorrow  he  expressed 
is  quite  natural,  even  under  the 
milder  interpretation  of  his  vow.  IT 
Besides  her  he  had  neither  son  nor 
daughter.  Or,  Heb. '  there  was  not 
to  himself  either  son  or  daughter;' 
implying,  as  some  of  the  Jewish 
commentators  think,  that  though  he 
had  no  other  children  of  his  own, 


A.  C.  1143.] 


CHAPTER  XI. 


315 


meet  him  with  timbrels  and  with 
dances :  and  she  was  his  only- 
child  ;  besides  her  he  had  nei- 
ther son  nor  daughter. 

35  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
he  saw  her,  that  he  n-ent  his 
clothes,    and    said,     Alas,     my 


s  Gen.  37.  29,  34. 


daughter?  thou  hast  brought  me 
very  low,  and  thou  art  one  of 
them  that  trouble  me  :  for  I 
thave  opened  my  mouth  unto  the 
Lord,  and  "I  cannot  go  back. 

36  And   she  said   unto   him, 
My  father,  if  thou  hast  opened 


Num.  30.  2.     l^s.  15.  4.     Eccles- 


yet  his  wife,  the  widow  of  a  former 
husband,  had.  Others  take  the  orig- 
inal 1372)3  with  our  translators  as 
used  for  r;:>3!0  besides  her^  a  view  of 
the  phrase  which  RosenmuUer  seems 
to  approve. 

35.  Alas,  my  daughter,  tho^i  hast 
brought  me  very  loio.     Heb. '  bowing 
thou  bast  made  me  to  bow ;'  gener- 
ally spoken  of  bowing  down  upon 
the  knees  for  purposes  of  religious 
reverence,  or  from  feebleness  and 
exhaustion,   especially   when   over- 
come in  battle.   Here  the  idea  seems 
to  be,  that  from  being  highly  elated 
by  the  recent  victory,  he  had  now, 
in  meeting  his  daughter  under  the 
present  circumstances,  been  sudden- 
ly and  wofully  depressed  and  struck 
doton,  as  it  were,  to  the  earth.     His 
■exultation  was  changed  to  humitiation 
and  grief.     His  daughter  had  done 
to  him  what  the  Ammonites  could 
not.    The  evident  bitterness  of  emo- 
tion which  he  betrayed,  on  meeting 
his  daughter,  clearly  shows  that  he 
then  looked  upon  himself  as  bound 
t»y  the  tenor  of  his  vow  so  make  her 
life  a  sacrifice.    Although  the  idea 
ef  consigning  her  to  a  state  of  per- 
petual celibacy  and  seclusion,  of  be- 
ing bereft  of  her  society,  and  seeing 
the  extinction  of  his  name  in  Israel 
certain,  could  not  but  greatly  affect 
the  heart  of  a  father,  yet  the  anguish 
which  he  now  expressed  appears  too 
intense  and  excruciating  to  be  caus- 
ed by  any  thing  but  the  conviction 
that  sh«  must  die — die  a  martyred 
victim  to  his  precipitate  vow.       II 
Thnu  art  one  of  them  that  trouble  me. 
Heb.  '  thou  hast  become  among  my 
troublers.'      This  language  might, 
in  reality,  have  been  more  properly 
addressed  by  the  daughter  to  her  fa- 


ther, but  his  meaning  obviously  is, 
that  she  had  innocently  and  involun- 
tarily become  a  source  of  unspeak- 
able distress  to  him.    '  He  answers 
the  measures  of  her  feet  with  the 
knockings  of  his  breast.     Her  joy 
alone  hath  changed  the  day,  and  lost 
the  comfort  of  that  victory  which  she 
enjoyed  to  see  won.     It  "falls  out  of- 
ten, that  those  times  and  occasions 
which  promise  most    contentment, 
prove  most  doleful  in  the  issue  ;  the 
heart  of  this  virgin  was  never  lifted 
up  so  high  as  now,  neither  did  any 
day  of  her  life  seem  happy  but  this"; 
and  this  only  proves  the  day  of  her 
solemn  and  perpetual  mourning.     It 
is  good,  in  a  fair  morning,  to  think 
of   the  storm    that    may  arise   ere 
night,  and  to  enjoy  both  good  and 
evil  fearfully.'    Bp.  Hall.      IT  Ihave 
opened  my  mouth  unto  the  Lord.     1 
have  .«;olemnly  vowed  to  him ;  im- 
plying that  the  vow  was  not    only 
conceived  in  the  mind,  but  uttered 
with  the  lips.    Vows,  unless  they 
were  verbally  enounced  seem  not  to 
have    been    regarded    as    binding, 
Num.  30.  3,  7, 9, 13.  Deut.  23.  23,  24. 
Although  the  narrative  does  not  re- 
present him  as  informing  her  speci- 
fically of  the  burden  of  the  vow,  yet 
from  what  follows  it  is  plain  that  she 
soon  became  aware  of  it,  either  from 
the  extreme  distress  which  he  now 
manifested,  or  from  his  subsequent 
explicit  disclosures.  The  sacred  wri- 
ters frequently  omit  the  mention  of 
minor     circumstances,     contenting 
themselves  with   the    statement    of 
leading  facts,  and  leaving  it  to  the 
judgment  of  the  reader  lo  supply  the 
omitted  links  of  the  chain.      ^lean- 
not  go  back.   I  cannot  recall  the  vow 
myself,  now  that  it  is  solemnly  utter- 


316 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1143. 


thy  mouth  unto  the  Lord,  ''do  to 
me  according  to  that  which  hath- 
proceeded  out  of  thy  mouth ; 
forasmuch  as   ^the  Lord   hath 


y  2  Sam. 


ed,  nor  can  any  power  on  earth  re- 
lease me  from  its  obligation. 

36.  3Iy  father,  if  thou  hast  opened 
thy  mouth,  &c.  A  striking  pattern 
of  filial  piety  and  obedience,  and  of 
heroic  zeal  for  what  she  conceived 
the  honor  of  God  and  of  Israel.  So 
rejoiced  was  she  at  the  victory,  as 
redounding  to  the  good  of  her  coun- 
try, that  she  is  willing  to  be  herself 
offered  up  as  a  thank-offering  for  it, 
and  thinks  her  life  well  bestowed 
when  laid  down  for  such  a  purpose. 
True  indeed  it  is,  that  if  her  father's 
conduct  was  wrong  in  making  the 
vow,  hers,  when  viewed  intrinsical- 
ly in  itself,  could  not  be  right  in 
concurring  in  it ;  the  same  moral 
character  would  attach  to  both  ;  but 
it  were  vain  to  expect  that  her 
knowledge  in  such  a  matter  would 
go  beyond  that  of  her  father.  How 
can  it  be  supposed  that  a  youthful 
maiden  should  have  had  clear  views 
of  the  import  of  the  divine  law  on 
such  a  subject,  when  her  father's 
mind  was  enveloped  in  darkness? 
Her  generous  self-devotion  therefore 
is  still  entitled  to  our  highest  com- 
mendation. Her  involuntary  igno- 
rance excuses  her  infirmity,  and  if 
she  believed  when  she  uttered  these 
words,  that  she  was  to  be  put  to 
death,  neither  Greece  nor  Rome, 
with  all  their  heroes  and  heroines, 
can  furnish  an  instance  of  sublimer 
self-sacrifice  than  this  of  the  humble 
maid  of  Israel.  Had  it  occurred 
among  these  boasting  people,  instead 
of  the  plain  unvarnished  tale  of  the  i 
sacred  historian,  we  should  have  I 
had  it  pressed  on  our  admiration 
■vvnth  all  the  pomp  of  eloquence.  In- 
deed it  cannot  be  doubled,  had  but 
jepthah  and  his  daughter  been  hea- 
thens, that  the  very  persons,  who 
now  find  in  the  transaction  nothing 
but  a  pretence  for  vilifying  the  Scrip- 
tures, would  then  have  extolled  the 


taken  vengeance  for  thee  of 
thine  enemies,  even  of  the  child- 
ren of  Ammon. 

37  And  she  said  unto  her  fa- 


whole  as  exhibiting  the  finest  ex- 
ample of  the  most  noble  constancy, 
the  most  disinterested  virtue. 

37.  Let  me  alone  for  two  months. 
The  word  in  the  original  is  that  us- 
ed for  slacking,  relaxing,  loosening 
one's  hold  upon  any  thing ;  see  note 
on  Josh.  1.  5.  The  whole  narrative 
affords  nothing  more  obscure  and 
remarkable  than  this  request.  On 
what  custom  was  it  founded  1  Is 
there  an  intimation  of  any  thing 
similar  in  any  other  part  of  the 
Scriptures,  or  in  any  thing  relative 
to  oriental  manners  and  usages  1 
We  know  of  nothing,  and  must  sit 
down  resigned  in  our  ignorance. 
Yet  we  think  the  inference  fair,  that 
children,  both  sons  and  daughters, 
were  occasionally  dedicated  by  Jew- 
ish parents  to  the  perpetual  service 
of  God  at  the  tabernacle  or  temple, 
as  we  know  was  the  case  with  Sam- 
uel, though  he,  in  after  life,  seems 
to  have  obtained  a  dispensation  from 
the  vow  of  his  mother.  Where  this 
wax  the  case  with  youthful  females, 
it  is  probable  the  custom  obtained  of 
their  retiring  for  a  season  in  groups 
from  domestic  scenes  to  sequestered 
places,  in  token  of  regret  at  being' 
thereby  excluded  the  privilege  of  a 
place  among  the  ancestors  of  the  fu- 
ture generations  of  Israel,  and  per- 
haps of  the  Messiah.  Not  that  we 
can  suppose  that  companies  of  un- 
protected maidens  would  forsake  for 
days  and  weeks  the  habitations  of 
men,  and  spend  their  time  in  roving 
about  over  hill  and  dale  in  the  open 
air,  for  they  would  surely  stand  in 
need  of  food  and  shelter,  and  how 
on  this  supposition  were  they  to  pro- 
cure them  %  but  they  probably  with- 
drew to  some  retired  places  of  abode, 
remote  from  populous  villages, 
where  imder  the  care  of  pious  mat- 
rons, they  passed  the  allotted  time  in 
the    observance  of  such  rites  and 


A.  C.  1143.] 


CHAPTER  XL 


317 


ther,  Let  this  thing  be  done  for 
me  :  Let  ine  alone  two  months, 
that  I  may  go  up  and  down  upon 
the  mountains,  and  bewail  my 
virginity,  I  and  my  fellows. 
38  And   he  said,    Go.     And 

ceremonies,  as  were  appointed  for 
the  purpose;  occasionally  perhaps 
walking  abroad  in  solemn  and 
mouini'ul  processions.  It  is  at  least 
difficult  to  conceive,  in  a  civilized 
and  religious  state  of  society,  and 
especially  in  Eastern  countries,  of 
any  other  mode  in  which  a  com- 
pany of  youthful  damsels  could, 
without  a  very  ill  appearance,  spend 
a  season  of  retirement  from  their 
usual  place  of  residence.  Let  the 
question  be  put  to  any  reflecting 
mind,  in  what  other  light  can  a 
transaction  of  this  nature  be  viewed. 
Did  the  Jewish  maidens  under  these 
■circumstances,  sojourn  unattended 
for  weeks  and  months  wandering 
up  and  down  on  the  mountains'? 
Is  it  conceivable  that  they  should 
have  adopted  a  measure  so  utterly 
abhorrent  to  female  decorum  and  so 
completely  at  war  with  the  very  first 
rudiments  of  oriental  prejudice? 
If  then,  upon  abandoning  their  own 
homes,  they  must  have  resorted  to 
some  kind  of  habitations,  what  were 
they  1  what,  but  a  species  of  abode 
desii(n£d  for  l/ie  purpose?  For  our- 
selves, the  narrated  fads  of  the 
Scripture  allow  us  to  come  to  no 
other  conclusion.  If  then  such  a 
custom  existed  at  the  time  to  which 
our  narrative  refers,  it  is  very  sup- 
posable,  that  Jepthah's  daughter  on 
an  occasion  like  the  present,  with 
her  impending  fate  full  before  her, 
should  have  been  desirous  to  avail 
herself  of  a  usage,  originally  indeed 
designed  for  another  purpose,  but 
not  inappropriate  to  this,  and  so 
have  requcL^ed  a  respite  of  a  few 
weeks  from  the  doom  that  awaited 
her.  What  more  fitting  employ- 
ment during  that  dread  interval, 
than  to  mingle  her  regrets  with  those 
whose  lot  her  own  in  one  respect  so 


he  sent  her  away  for  two 
months  :  and  she  went  with  her 
companions,  and  bewailed  her 
virginity  upon  the  mouritains. 

39  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the 
end  of  two  months  that  she  re- 


much  resembled,  though  they  were 
exempted  from  the  destiny  to  which 
she  had  meekly  submitted  1 

39.  Did  with  her  according  fo  H5 
vow.  Heb.  '  did  to  her  his  vow.' 
The  original,  if  we  mistake  not,  af- 
fords some  more  latitude  of  con- 
struction, in  respect  to  the  mode  of 
executmg  the  vow,  than  is  allowed 
by  our  present  rciidering.  Accord- 
ing to  the  latier,  we  are  required  to 
believe  that  he  adhered  to  the  very 
letter  of  the  vow,  and  actually  offered 
her  as  a  burnt  offerinv^  which  we 
have  endeavored  to  show  is  the  un- 
forced legitimate  sense  of  the  vow 
itself.  According  to  the  former, 
which  is  more  general  and  inde- 
finite, we  are  not,  we  conceive,  ab- 
solutely shut  up  to  the  adoption  of 
this  sense.  The  phrase, '  he  did  to 
her  his  vow,'  strikes  us  as  not  speci- 
fying the  precise  manner  in  which 
the  vow  was  performed,  but  as  leav- 
ing us  at  liberty,  provided  the  exi- 
gency of  the  case  requires  it,  to  un- 
derstand the  writer  as  saying,  that 
he  did  to  her  what  was  equivalent 
to  his  original  vow,  what  was  ac- 
cepted irr  lieu  of  it,  instead  the 
identical  thing  which  the  vow  con- 
templated. The  veiisimilitude  of 
this  rendering  will  be  just  in  propor- 
tion to  the  p-obobility,  derived  from 
other  sources,  that  he  did  not  actual- 
ly put  his  daughter  to  death  ;  that  ia 
the  interval  of  the  two  month's  re- 
spite which  she  besought,  he  had 
come  to  a  diflTerent  view  of  the  de- 
mands of  duty  in  the  case,  the  amount 
of  which  was,  a  clear  conviction  that 
the  literal  fuljillmeiit  of  the  vow  was 
not  obligatory  upon  him.  In  sup- 
port of  this  hypothesis,  which  we 
think  to  be  the  true  one,  we  offer  the 
following  considerations. 

(i.)  It  is  not  expressly  stated  that 


318 


JUDGES. 


turned  unto  her  father,  who  'did 
with  her  according  to  his  vow 
which  he  had  vowed  :  and  she 

z  yer.  31.    1  Saiu.  1.  22,  24.  4  2.  13. 


she  was  offered  up  for  a  burnt  offer- 
ing. Instead  of  saying,  as  would 
naturally,  on  that  supposition,  have 
been  expected  in  a  transaction  of 
such  moment,  '  He  did  with  her  ac- 
cording to  his  vow,  and  offered  her 
vpfor  a  burnt  offering  to  the  Lord,^ 
the  writer  simply  affirms,  '  He  did 
to  her  his  vow,  and  she  tneio  no 
wan;'  as  if  this  were  intended  to  be 
explanatory  of  the  vumiier  in  which 
the  doing  of  the  vow  was  accom- 
plished, viz,  by  devoting  her  to  a 
life  of  celibacy.  Why  else  is  this 
latter  circumstance  mentioned,  but 
to  show  wherein  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  vow  consisted  7  If  she 
were  really  put  to  death,  is  it  not 
strange  that  the  fact  of  her  death  is 
not  once  spoken  of  1  But  if  she  were 
only  doomed  to  a  state  of  perpetual 
virginity,  the  reason  of  the  expres- 
sion is  at  once  obvious.  It  may  indeed 
be  objected  that  no  other  instance  of 
devoting  a  person  to  virginity  occurs, 
nor  have  we  evidence  that  parents 
possessed  any  such  right.  This  we 
admit ;  but  neither,  on  the  other 
hand,  does  the  Scripture  afford  evi- 
dence, that  parents  possessed  the 
right  of  devoting  their  children  to 
death,  nor  exhibit,  among  the  chos- 
en people,  an  example  of  the  fact  of 
such  a  devotement.  The  intrinsic 
probability,  therefore,  is  as  strong  on 
the  one  side  as  the  other.  Nor  is 
the  objection  more  valid,  that  sup- 
posing her  only  devoted  to  God, 
there  was  no  reason  why  she  should 
remain  unmarried ;  since  Samson 
and  Samuel,  both  of  whom  were  de- 
voted to  God  from  the  womb,  were 
both  married.  But  the  case  is  ex- 
tremely different  between  a  man  and 
a  woman.  The  former  was  at  liberty 
to  serve  God,  in  any  way  that  he 
judged  agreeable  to  his  will ;  but  the 
latter,  if  she  had  married,  would 
have  been  under  the  control  of  her 
husband,  who  might  in  a  variety  of 


knew  no  man. 
custom  in  Israel. 


[A.  C.  1143. 

And  it  was   a 


ways  have  interfered  with  the  dis- 
charge of  the  duties  which  the  vow 
implied.  It  was  therefore  necessary 
that  she  should  remain  unmarried, 
and  that  she  should  also  be  secluded 
in  great  measure  from  society  itself; 
that  being  the  way  in  which  the  ob- 
ject of  entire  consecration  could  be 
most  effectually  attained.  Moreover, 
such  a  sentence  would  come  the 
tiearest  of  any  other  to  the  letter  of  his 
vow.  She  would  henceforth  become 
dead  to  the  world,  and  in  her  perpe- 
tual celibacy  the  line  of  his  posterity 
become  extinct  for  ever.  It  woald 
therefore  almost  amount  to  a  positive 
immolation  of  her. 

(2.)  It  does  not  appear  by  whose 
hands  such  a  sacrifice  could  have 
been  offered.  Not  by  the  high  priest, 
or  any  regular  member  of  the  priest- 
hood, for  with  all  the  deplorable  lax- 
ness,  ignorance,  and  degeneracy 
that  prevailed,  it  is  incredible  that 
any  officiating  priest  should  have 
tolerated  for  a  moment,  in  the  face 
of  such  explicit  prohibitions  as  Mo« 
ses  had  given,  the  oblation  of  a  hu- 
man sacrifice.  And  not  by  Jepthah 
himself,  for  this  would  have  been  a 
transgression  of  the  Levitical  law,, 
which  erqoiaed  that  every  offerings 
should  be  made  by  the  hand  of  the 
priest,  and  at  the  place  where  the 
tabernacle  and  altar  stood.  This  is. 
rendered  still  more  certain  by  an 
important  circumstance  mentioned 
in  the  beginning  of  the  next  chapter.. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  the  tab- 
ernacle was  at  this  time  at  Shiloh, 
in  the  tribe  of  Ephraim.  Now  im- 
mediately after  the  conclusion  of 
the  war  with  the  Ammonites,  we 
find  Jepthah  engaged  in  a  bitter  war 
xcith  the  Epkraimites.  This  makes 
it  in  the  highest  degree  improbable 
that  he  should,  in  the  yQfy.  heaL  of 
the  quarrel,  have  gone  into  the  heart 
of  that  tribe  to  offer  such  a  sacrifice, 
even  had  it  been  iawfuL     If  theii 


A.  C.  1143.] 


CHAPTER  XL 


319 


there  is  the  utmost  reason  to  believe 
tha.;  such  an  ottering  was  not  made 
by  the  high  priest  or  any  inferior 
priest — that  it  was  not  made  by  Jep- 
Ihah  himself — and  that  it  was  not 
made  at  Shiloh,  the  appointed  place 
of  sacrifice,  what  reason  is  there  to 
suppose  it  was  made  at  all  ? 

(3.)  Prom  all  the  circumstances, 
the  probability,  we  think,  is  very 
strong  that  Jepthah  availed  himself 
of  the  provisions  of  the  law,  in  re- 
spect to  devoted  persons  and  things; 
in  other  words,  that  during  the  two 
month's  interval,  he  had  become 
better  instructed  in  regard  to  the 
subject  of  vows  in  general  under  the 
Mosaic  statutes,  and  ascertained  that 
a  dispensation,  in  his  case,  was 
practicable.  We  have  already  re- 
marked that  vows  were  encouraged 
under  the  law,  and  that  besides  the 
ckeirm  or  anathema,  persons  or 
i/iings  might  be  devoted  to  God. 
But  where  this  was  the  case,  the  law 
permitted  that  a  valuation  should  be 
made  of  the  devoted  person  or  thing, 
and  that  the  money  should  be  re- 
garded as  a  ransom  for  it,  or  an  of- 
fering be  presented  in  its  stead.  If 
a  human  being  were  devoted,  the 
estimation  was  to  vary  according  to 
the  sex  or  age  of  the  person.  Lev. 
27.  2  -13,  but  for  an  adult  female,  it 
was  thirty  shekels  of  silver.  Now 
supposing  that  Jepthah,  at  the  time 
of  making  the  vow,  had  no  distinct 
recollection  or  knowledge  of  this 
law ;  supposing  even  that  the  vow, 
as  it  emanated  from  his  lips, partook 
more  of  the  character  of  the  cherem, 
than  the  neder ;  yet  is  it  conceivable 
that  when  the  execution  of  it  was 
postponed  for  two  months,  and  the 
affair  had  become  notorious  through- 
out the  nation,  and  was  the  subject 
of  general  discussion  and  great  lam- 
entation, that  there  was  no  person  in 
all  Israel  who  once  thought  of  this 
law  1  "Would  not  the  agonized  fa- 
ther, besides  devoting  to  it  his  own 
intensest  study,  consult  the  priests 
on  the  subject  1  And  would  not  the 
priests  acquaint  him  with  the  pro- 
visions of  the  law  in  reference  to  a 
case  of  casuistry  like  the  present  1 


And  what  would  naturally  be  the 
result  ?  Could  he  fail  to  come  to  the 
conclusion,  that  such  a  sacrifice  as 
he  first  intended  was  not  only  unlaw- 
ful, but  in  the  face  of  the  numerous 
pointed  prohibitions  against  it  would 
amount  to  nothing  short  of  down- 
right murder?  Would  he  not  learn, 
that  as  an  offering  (nbll^!  the  term  he 
had  employed  in  his  vow)  was  in  its 
own  nature  incompatible  with  a 
cherem  (tjin),  and  that  the  law  had 
made  no  provision  for  the  latter 
being  substituted  for  the  former,  he 
was  even,  according  to  the  very  terms 
of  his  vow,  rightly  nndersiood,  not 
only  released,  but'  prohibited  from 
performing  itl  IJnder  these  cir- 
cumstances, would  he,  could  he  per- 
severe in  his  original  intention  "?  Is 
it  not  more  probable,  that  after  deep 
deliberation  in  concert  wiih  the 
authorised  expounders  of  the  law, 
he  yielded  to  the  conviction,  that 
although  his  solemn  pledge  did  not 
originally  contemplate  anv  such  al- 
ternative', yet  it  might  be  "embraced 
in  the  provisions  now  alluded  to — 
that  it  might  come  under  the  class 
of  redeemable  vom's  1  He  would  be 
more  encouraged  to  avail  himself  of 
this  dispensation,  on  the  ground  of 
the  darkness  of  his  mind  at  the  time 
of  coming  under  the  engagement. 
It  was  not  an  act  of  vilfvl  disregard 
of  the  divine  statutes  relative  to  this 
point,  but  one  rather  oi misapprehen- 
sion and  itifirviity,  though  from  its 
rash  and  reckiesis  character  by  no 
means  innocent.  He  was  still",  we 
may  suppose,  ready  to  humble  him- 
self before  God  in  view  of  his  pre- 
cipitancy, and  while  he  paid  the 
ransom  price  that  delivered  his 
daughter  from  death,  piously  resolv- 
ed by  way  of  punishing  himself  for 
his  rashness,  to  fulfil  his  vow  in  her 
civil  excision  from  among  the  living. 
He  accordingly,  we  conceive,  con- 
signed her  henceforth  to  a  state  of 
perpetual  seclusion  and  celibacy — of 
living  consecration  to  God — and  in 
this  manner  'did  unto  her  his  vow,' 
though  in  a  mode  of  execution, 
which  did  not,  in  the  first  instance, 
enter  into  his  thoughts, — Thus,  on 


320 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1143. 


40   Thai  the  daughters  of  Is- 
rael went  yearly  to  lament  the 

the  whole,  after  weighing  aJl  the 
circumstances  and  all  the  arguments 
bearing  upon  the  case,  we  are  led  to 
decide  upon  the  much  disputed  point, 
whether  Jepthah  really  .sacrificed 
his  daughter.  To  our  mind  the  evi- 
dence for  the  negative  clearly  pre- 
ponderates. At  the  same  time,  we 
do  not.  as  will  be  seen,  deduce  it 
from  the  terms  of  the  vow,  or  any 
fancied  contingeyicy  of  purpose  in 
Jepihah's  mind  at  the  time  of  mak- 
ing it.  We  believe  that  it  was  made 
under  i\\e  prevailing  impression  that 
a  human  sacrifice  would  be  the  re- 
sult; but  that,  although  his  conduct 
was  contrary  to  the  Scriptural  pre- 
cept forbidding  men  'after  vows  to 
make  inquiry,'  he  became  subse- 
quemly  more  enlightened,  and  by  a 
careful  study  of  the  law,  aided  by 
its  proper  ministers,  he  ascertained 
the  possibility  of  being  released  from 
the  dilemma,  in  which  he  had  so 
thoughtlessly  ensnared  himself.  Per- 
haps the  most  valid  objection  to  the 
view  given  above,  is  that  which 
would  a-^sume  the  form  of  the  ques- 
tion. Why,  if  such  were  the  fact,  is 
the  narrative  so  constructed  as  to 
give  rise  almost  inevitably  to  the 
impression,  that  the  literal  immola- 
tion of  Jepthah's  daughter  actually 
took  place'?  Without  allowing  that 
an  inability  to  answer  this  question 
satisfactorily  ought  to  be  considered 
as  essentially  weakening  the  force 
of  the  arguments  adduced  above, 
we  may  suggest  in  reply,  that  the 
Spirit  of  inspiration  may  have  fram- 
ed the  record  as  it  now  stands,  mark- 
ed by  a  somewhat  ambiguous  as- 
pect, in  order  to  guard  against  a 
light  estimate  of  the  obligation  of 
voios.  We  do  not  affirm  this  to  have 
been  the  design,  but  it  is  certainly 
conceivable  that  if  it  had  been  ex- 
pressly stated  that  the  vow  in  its  li- 
teral sense  had  not  been  performed, 
it  might  have  gone  to  relax  some- 
what of  the  apprehended  sacredness 
of  all  such  votive  engagements,  and 
led  men  to  think  that  God  himself 


daugter  of  Jephthah  the  Gilead- 
ite  ibur  days  in  a  year. 

might  easily  dispense  with  them. 
Whereas,  as  it  is  now  worded,  and 
i  would  be  perhaps  most  naturally 
!  understood,  it  would  inspire  far 
other  sentiments,  and  lead  men  at 
once  to  be  very  cautious  in  making, 
and  very  punctilious  in  performing 
their  vows. 

39,  40.  And  it  was  a  custom  in  Is- 
rael. Heb.  ^.j^-iiDi  'p'n  *^rim-  The 
phraseology  of  the  original  is  pecu- 
liar, the  verb  being  of  the  fem.,  the 
noun  of  the  masc.  gender.  The  liter- 
al rendering  we  take  to  be,  '  and  she 
became  an  ordinance  in  Israel;'  i.  e. 
her  case  became  a  precedent;  it 
gave  rise  to  an  established  custom  in 
Israel.  But  what  particular  custom 
is  alluded  to,  whether  that  of  dedi- 
cating maidens  to  God,  as  Gussel 
supposes,  or  that  of  going  at  stated 
times  to  commemorate  the  fate  of 
Jepthah's  daughter, asotherscontend, 
is  not  clear.  The  latter  appears  on  the 
whole  most  probnble.  H  Went  year- 
ly to  lament  the  dauishter  of  Jeptkah. 
Heb.  '  from  days  to  days  ;'  but  a  day 
in  Scriptural  idiom  is  often  used  for 
a  year ;  for  which  reason  the  mar- 
ginal reading  is  properly  '  from  year 
to  year.'  The  original  for  'to  la- 
ment,' (:in;n5)  is  a  term  of  very 
questionable  import.  It  is  rendered 
differently  according  to  the  different 
opinions  of  expositors,  as  to  the  na- 
ture of  the  vow,  and  the  mode  of  its 
fulfilment.  Those  who  think  that 
she  was  sacrificed,  are  satisfied  with 
the  present  version  ;  those  who  dis- 
sent from  this,  contend  earnestly  for 
the  marginal  rendering,  'to  talk 
with,' — meaning  that  the  daughters 
of  Israel  went  yearly  to  condole 
with  and  to  comfort  her.  It  must  be 
admitted,  that  the  evidence  for  this 
latter  sense  of  the  word  is  by  no 
means  slight,  if  we  refer  to  the  only 
other  instance  in  which  it  occurs, 
Judg.  5.  11,  where  though  trans- 
lated '  to  rehearse' — '  there  shall  they 
rehearse  the  righteous  acts  of  the 
Lord' — yet  the  idea  of  colloquy,  of 
mutual  address^  is  clearly  involved. 


A.  C.  1143.1 


This  is  confirmed  by  Kimchi,  the 
Jewish  commentator,  who  thus  para- 
phrases the  words  before  lis,  '  That 
indeed,  with  their  friendly  discourse 
they  might  comfort  her  concerning 
her  virginity  and  her  solitary  state 
of  life.'  The  ancient  versions,  how- 
ever, with  one  accord,  give  the 
sense  of  lamentinir,  beioailing,  a  cir- 
cumstance undoubtedly  to  us  of  no 
small  weight,  though  not  absolutely 
decisive  in  estimating  the  true  im- 
port of  the  terra.  The  probability  is, 
that  the  word  means  in  its  most  gen- 
eral sense,  '  to  praise,  to  celebrate, 
to  commemorate,'  and  would  there- 
fore denote  that  the  daughters  of  Is- 
rael kept  a  few  days'  anniversary  to 
commemorate  this  transaction,  wkat- 
ever  were  its  result.  For  aught  that 
appears  from  the  language  itself, 
she  might  have  been  living  at  the 
time.  Indeed  take  the  passage  as  it 
reads ;  '  The  daughters  of  Israel 
went  to  lament  the  daughter  of  Jep- 
thah ;'  and  the  question  is,  wkat  in 
her,  or  respecting  her,  did  they  la- 
ment ?  It  is  not  said  they  lamented 
her  death ;  and  to  affirm  that  they 
did,  is  to  beg  the  question.  They 
might  have  lamented  only  what  they 
^nd  Jepthah's  daughter  had  lament- 
ed before,  viz.  her  virginity.  On 
the  whole,  though  some  difficulties 
attend  every  interpretation  hitherto 
advanced  of  Jepthah's  vow  and  its 
consequences,  yet  the  foregoing  has 
perhaps  the  fewest  and  the  least,  and 
receives  most  countenance  bo  h  from 
philological  and  moral  considera- 
tions. 

We  may  close  our  observations 
on  this  remarkable  portion  of  holy 
writ  by  suggesting,  (1.)  That  we  be 
cautious  in  maki)ig  voios.  '  Be  not 
rash  with  thy  mouth,  and  let  not 
thine  heart  be  hasty  to  utter  any 
thing  before  God ;  for  God  is  in  heav- 
en, and  thou  upon  earth;  therefore 
let  thy  words  be  few.'  It  may  some- 
times be  useful  to  bind  ourselves 
by  solemn  vows,  to  evince  our  gra- 
titude and  confirm  our  regard  for 
the  divine  glory.  But  such  xtws 
should  be  deliberately  and  discreetly 
made,  an  should  extend  to  those 
28 


CHAPTER  XI. 


321 


things  only  that  are  clearly  lawful  in 
themselves,  and  serviceable  to  the 
interests  of  religion.  Strict  inquiry 
should  be  made  into  the  nature  and 
extent  of  the  proposed  engagements, 
before  we  enter  into  them.  Thus 
Solomon  declares,  '  It  is  a  snare  to  a 
man  to  devour  that  which  is  hol}^, 
and  after  vows  to  make  inquiry.'  If 
we  have  rashly  pledged  ourselves  to 
do  what  the  law  of  God  prohibits, 
we  must  recede  from  our  vow,  and 
humble  ourselves  before  our  Maker 
for  our  precipitance.  The  forty  con- 
spirators, who  swore  that  they  would 
neither  eat  nor  drink  till  they  had 
killed  Paul,  and  Herod,  who  swore 
that  he  would  give  his  daughter 
whatsoever  she  should  ask  of  him, 
had  no  right  to  bind  themselves  to 
such  an  extent,  and  would  have  sin- 
ned less  in  violating  than  in  keeping 
their  engagements.  Let  their  case 
be  a  warning  to  us.  (2.)  That  wc  be 
conscientious  in  performing  them. 
Where  our  vows  are  lawful  and 
practicable  they  should  be  religious- 
ly kept.  Better  is  it  not  to  vow,  than 
to  vovv'  and  not  perform.  So  Solo- 
mon exhorts;  'When  thou  vovvest 
a  vow  unto  God,  defer  not  to  pay  it, 
for  he  hath  no  pleasure  in  fools.  Pay 
that  which  thou  hast  vowed.'  Even 
though  the  rigid  observance  of  our 
vows  should  subject  us  to  great  sacri- 
fices, expence,  and  trouble,  yet  the  ob- 
ligation should  be  considered  sacred, 
and  the  attempt  to  set  them  aside  by 
the  plea  of  inadvertence  or  of  diffi- 
culty in  the  performance  will  only 
serve  to  bring  upon  us  the  heavy 
displeasure  of  God.  If  Jeplhah,  af- 
ter having  precipitately  bound  him- 
self by  a  solemn  engagement,  felt 
constrained  to  adhere  to  its  sfiril, 
though  released  from  the  letter,  and 
would  not  go  back,  notwithstanding 
tlie  sacrifice  was  so  great,  so  neither 
should  we  decline  the  performance 
of  the  most  difficult  of  our  vows. 
Let  us  remind  ourselves  of  the  sac- 
redness  uniformly  attached  in  the 
Scriptures  to  obligations  of  this  sort, 
and  say  with  David,  '  I  will  go  into 
rriy-  house  with  burnt  offerings;  I 
will  pay  thee  my  vows  which  my 


322 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1148. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A  ND  Hhe  men  of  Ephraim  ga- 
thered themselves  together, 
and  went  northward,    and   said 
unto  Jephthah,  Wherefore  pass- 


a  See  ch.  8   I. 


lips  have  uttered,  and  my  mouth  hath 
spoken,  when  I  was  in  trouble.' 
And  who  is  there  that  has  not  the 
responsibility  of  vows  of  some  kind 
resting  upon  him  '?  Who  has  not  in 
a  time  of  sickness,  or  danger,  or 
trouble,  or  alarm,  determined  with 
himself,  that  if  he  should  be  deliver- 
ed, he  would  devote  himself  to  the 
Lord  and  to  the  pursuit  of  heavenly 
things  1  Let  all  such  look  back  and 
call  to  mind  the  vows  that  are  upon 
them,  and  be  admonished  that  Jep- 
thah  will  rise  up  in  judgment  against 
the  violation  of  them.  Especially 
let  us  remember  that  in  making  a 
profession  of  religion,  we  have  vow- 
ed to  be  the  Lord's  in  a  perpetual 
covenant  of  love,  trust,  and  obedi- 
ence. We  have  opened  our  mouths 
to  him,  and  now  we  cannot  go  back 
■without  the  shipwreck  of  truth,  hon- 
or, conscience,  and  probably  of  sal- 
vation. Again  therefore  we  say, 
let  us  be  faithful  to  covenant  engage- 
ments. (3.)  Others'  sorrow  should  be 
our  oicn,  and  by  partaking  ive  should 
seek  to  alleviate  them.  So  was  it  with 
the  companions  of  Jepthah's  daugh- 
ter, and  so  should  it  be  with  the  sons 
and  daughters  of  the  true  Israel  in 
all  ages  and  climes. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

1.  The  men  of  Ephraim  gathered 
tliemselves  toL'cther.  Heb.  '  were  cri- 
ed together ;'  i.  e.  summoned  together 
by  the  voice  of  heralds  passing  to 
and  fro  through  the  tribe.  The  pas- 
sive voice  in  Heb.  often  has  a  recip- 
rocal import,  and  here  probably  is 
intended  to  convey  the  idea  of  a  mu- 
tual stirring  each  other  up,  indepen- 
dent of  the  will  of  a  superior,  and 
a  consequent  flocking  together  in 
somewhat  of  a  loose  and  tumultuary 
manner.  With  this  as  the  leading 
idea  of  the  passage  before  his  mind, 


edst  thou  over  to  fight  against 
the  children  of  Amnion,  and  didst 
not  call  us  to  go  with  thee  ?  we 
will  burn  thy  house  upon  thee 
with  fire. 


Jerome,  in  the  Vulgate,  has  render- 
ed it '  And  there  arose  a  sedition  in 
Ephraim;'  on  which  Rosenmuller 
remarks,  that  he  took  the  Heb.  verb 
to  imply  that  by  mutual  clamor  and 
vociferation  they  excited  themselves 
to  sedition  and  tumult.  ^Went 

■northioard.  Heb.  'passed over  north- 
ward.'     Crossing  the  Jordan,  they 
advanced   in  a  northerly  direction 
towards  Mizpeh,  where  Jepthah  now 
was.     This  region  lay  to  the  north- 
east, rather  than  directly  north  of 
the  territory  of  Ephraim."  See  map. 
IT  Wherefore  passedst  thou  over,  &c. 
Not  over  Jordan,  for  he  was  on  the 
farther  side  of  that  river  already, 
but  simply  over    the    intermediate 
regions  between  him  and  the  scene 
of  conflict.     We  have  here  a  second 
proof  of  the  haughty  and  turbulent 
disposition  of  the  Ephraimites.  They 
had  no  just  ground  whatever    for 
their  present  bitter  crimination   of 
Jepthah.      Their  jealous  and  envi- 
ous spirit  towards  Manasseh  was  the 
only  cause  of  the  injurious  charge 
and  violent  threat  M'hich  they  now 
uttered.    Although  from  being  both 
the  sons  of  Joseph  they  were  nearer 
akin  than  any  other  of  the  tribes,  yet 
between  none  other  of  the  tribes  was 
there  such  a  burning  spirit  of  rivalry 
and   disafieclion  as  between   them. 
The  conduct  of  the  Ephraimites  on 
this   occasion,  compared  with  their 
complaints  to  Joshua  and  their  hos- 
tile attitude  towards  Gideon,  clearly 
evinces  a  disposition  to  lord  it  over 
the  other  tribes,  with  an  authority 
and  pre-eminence  to  which  they  were 
certainly  not  yet  entitled.  We  are  re- 
minded by  the  incidents  of  the  narra- 
tive,    (1.)  That    quarrels    between 
brethren  are  usually  most  bitter  and 
violent.       '  A  brother    offended    is 
harder  to  be  won  than  a  strong  city ; 
and  their  contentions  are  as  the  bars 


A.  C.  1143.] 


CHAPTER  XII. 


323 


2  And  Jeplhab  said  unto  them, 
I  and  my  people  were  at  great 
strife  with  the  children  of  Am- 
mon  ;  and  when  I  called  you,  ye 
delivered  me  not  out  of  their 
hands. 

3  And  when  I  saw  that  ye  de- 
livered  me  not,  I  ^put  my  life  in 

b  ISam.  13.  5.  «  28.  21.     Job  13    14.     Ps.  119.  109 

of  a  castle.'  (2.)  They  who  have 
done  the  greatest  t-ervice  to  the  cause 
of  God,  are  not  secure  from  the 
greatest  insults,  even  sometimes 
from  the  pretended  friends  of  that 
cause.  The  most  spotless  characters 
are  often  the  chosen  marks  for  the 
fangs  of  env^y  to  fasten  upon. 

2.  And  Jepthah  said  unto  ihem,  &c. 
Jepthah's  answer,  at  once  firm  but 
temperate,  shows  that  their  charge 
was  as  false  as   malicious ;  that  he 
had  called  them,  and  they  refused  to 
come.      The  greatest  boasters  and 
loudest  pretenders  are  usually  the 
greatest  cowards  ;  and  they  who  are 
themselves  most  in  fault,  are  often 
prone  to  shield  themselves  by  accus- 
ing the  innocent.      IT/  aiid  nmj  people 
were  al  great  strife,  &c.  Heb.  '  I  was 
a  man  of  strife,  and  my  people,  and 
the  children  of  Amnion  greatly.'  As 
if  he  had  said, '  Although  the  quar- 
rel was  chiefly  between  us  Gileadites 
and  the  Ammonites,  and  not  between 
you  and  them,  yet  out  of  respect  to 
you  as  brethren  and  confederates,  I 
gave  you  an  invitation  to  join  our 
forces,  yet  you  declined.'     In  reality 
therefore,  he  had  more  cause  to  con- 
demn them  for  their  indifference  to 
the  fate  of  their  brethren,  than  they 
him    for    taking  the   field    without 
them.     Reason  is  very  apt  to  forsake 
those  who  renounce  right.         IT  Ye 
delivered  me  not  out  of  tkeir  hands. 
That  is,  ye  strove  not,  ye  attempted 
not,  ye  did  not  what  in  you  lay,  to 
deliver  me.  See  note  on  Gen.  37.  21. 
It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  his  deli- 
verance and  success  were  suspended, 
entirely  upon  their  efforts  in  his  be- 
half 
3.  Jp^it  my  life  in  my  hands.  Heb. 


my  hands  and  passed  over 
against  the  children  of  Ammon, 
and  the  Lord  delivered  them  in- 
to my  hand  :  wherefore  then  are 
ye  come  up  unto  me  this  day, 
to  fight  against  me  1 

4  Then  Jephthah  gathered  to- 
gether all  the  men  of  Gilead, 


'  in  my  palm.'  A  strong  orientalism' 
implying,  'I  risked  my  life  m  a 
seemingly  desperate  undertaking.' 
'  j  he  Hindoos  use  the  same  figure; 
and  the  idea  seems  to  be  taken  from 
a  man  carrying  something  very  pre- 
cious in  his  hands,  and  that  under 
circumstances  of  great  danger. 
When  a  son  who  has  been  long  ab- 
sent returns  home,  his  father  says, 
'  My  son  has  returned  from  the  far 
country  with  his  life  in  his  hand; 
which 'means,  he  has  passed  through 
many  dangers.  '  Last  night  as  I 
went  home  through  the  place  of  evil 
spirits,  I  put  my  life  in  my  hands.' 
'  The  other  day  in  passing  through 
the  forest,  I  put  my  life  in  my  hands, 
for  the  beasts  were  near  to  me  in 
every  direction.'  'Danger!  truly 
so ;  i  put  my  life  in  my  bosom.'  '  O 
that  divine "  doctor  !  my  son  was  at 
the  point  of  deah,  but  he  brought  his 
life  in  his  hand.'  Roberts.  The 
same  phrase  occurs  1  Sam.  19.  5, 
and  28.  21.  Job  13.  14.  Ps.  119.  109. 
IT  Wherefore  then  are  ye  come  up  unto 
me  this  day,  to  fight  against  me?  If 
God  was  pleased  togive  me  the  victory 
without  you,  and  so  far  to  make  use 
of  me  for  his  glory,  why  should  you 
be  offended  1  Should  not  your  re- 
senimeni  rather  become  gratitude, 
that  you  were  spared  both  labor  and 
danger  1  Have  you  any  reason  to 
fight  against  me  %  Is  it  not  in  effect 
to  sin  against  God,  in  whose  hand  I 
have  been  only  an  unworthy  instru- 
ment ? 

4.  Then  Jepthah  gathered  together, 
&c.  Finding  all  his  remonstrances 
vain,  and  the  Ephraimites  intent  up- 
on a  quarrel,  he  was  prompted,  per- 
haps under  the  influence  of  undue 


824 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1143. 


and  fought  with  Ephraim  :  and 
the  men  of  Gilead  smote  Ephra- 
im, because  they  said,  Ye  Gil- 
eadites  "are  fugitives  of  Ephraim 
amons:  the  Ephraimites,  and 
the  Manassites. 

5  And  the  Gileadites  took  the 
''passages  of  Jordan  before  the 
Ephraimites  :  and  it  was  50,  that 
when  those   Ephraimites  which 

e  See  I  Sam.  23.  10.      Ps.  78.  9.  d  Josh.  22.  11- 

Ch.  3   2S.  &7.  24. 

excitement,  to  undertake  to  chastise 
their  insolence,  It  is,  at  any  rate, 
extremely  difficult  to  justify  such  a 
signal  rev'enge,  though  it  be  admit- 
ted that  the  provocation  was  very 
great.  Even  good  men  often  lack 
the  self-command,  which  would  en- 
able them  to  bear  with  becoming 
calmness  the  ingratitude  and  cal- 
umny of  others,  and  in  a  just  cause 
are  apt  to  be  hurried  on  by  their 
passions  to  unwarrantable  lengths. 
IT  Ye  Gileadites  are  fugitives  of 
Ephraim.,  &c.  From  the  ambiguity 
of  the  original,  it  is  not  easy  to  as- 
certain precisely  where  the  point  of 
this  reproach  lies.  According  to  the 
present  translation,  it  is  an  insulting 
intimation  that  the  Gileadites  were 
the  very  scum  and  refuse  of  the  two 
tribes  here  mentioned ;  but  the  fol- 
lowing may  be  proposed  as  a  more 
correct  rendering  of  the  Hebrew; 
'  And  the  men  of  Gilead  smote 
Ephraim,  because  they  (the  Gilead- 
ites) said.  Ye  are  fugitives  of  Ephra- 
im;' i.  e,  a  mere  party,  a  remnant 
of  the  whole  tribe,  who  have  come 
.hither  v/ithout  being  sent  to  molest 
and  insult  us,  whereas  the  majority 
of  the  tribe  would  be  more  just  and 
generous  than  to  treat  us  in  this 
manner.  The  ensuing  words,  n::>'^3 
nC:!0  '^It^j  D'^ISH  '^irz,  Gilead  u-as 
inlermcdiate  between  Ephraim  and 
Manassch,  are  probably  to  be  enclos- 
ed in  a  parenthesis,  intimating  that 
Jepthah's  army  had  taken  a  position 
between  their  own  territory,  and  that 
of  Ephraim,  prob:'bly  at  the  fords  of 
the  Jordan,  in  order  to  cut  off  iheir 


were  escaped,  said,  Let  me  go 
over;  that  the  men  of  Gilead 
said  unto  him,  Art  thou  an 
Ephraimite  ?  If  he  said,  Nay  ; 

6  Then  said  they  unto  him, 
say  now  Shibboleth  :  and  he 
said  Sibboleth  :  for  he  could  not 
frame  to  pronounce  it  right. 
Then  they  took  him  and  slew 
him   at    the    passages   of  Jor- 


the  next  verse,  as  we  would  translate 
the  words  ;  '  J'or  the  Gileadites  had 
taken  the  passages  of  the  Jordan,'  &c. 
As  the  successive  companies  of  the 
Ephraimites  approached  the  banks 
of  the  stream,  lo  pass  over  into  their 
own  country,  we  suppose  they  were 
addressed  in  the  manner  above  men- 
tioned by  the  Gileadites.  Still  the 
clause  is  one  of  very  dubious  im- 
port. 

5.  Those  Ephraimites  which  were 
escaped.  Heb.  'the  fugitives  of 
Ephraim ;'  precisely  the  same  phrase 
with  that  occurring  in  the  verse 
above,  and  confirming  the  interpre- 
tation there  given.  We  consider 
the  drift  of  the  writer  in  v.  5,  6,  to 
be,  to  state  in  fuller  detail,  and  with 
some  additional  particulars,  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  slaughter  men- 
tioned V.  4, 

6.  Say  now  Shibboleth ;  and  he 
said  Sibboltth.  The  original  differs 
only  in  the  first  ]eUei,'c  samcchyin- 
stead  of  'j  sheen.  It  is  well  known 
that  several  nations  cannot  pro- 
nounce certain  letters.  The  sound 
ofth,  so  familiar  to  English  organs, 
cannot  be  pronounced  by  the  people 
of  some  European  countries,  nor  by 
the  Persians,  though  a  common 
sound  among  the  Arabians.  To  this 
day,  many  of  the  German  Jews  can- 
not articulate  this  sound  in  reading 
their  own  Hebrew  Scriptures,  but 
substitute  ss,  as  '  ^^^55  for  baith,  a 
house,  bereshiss  for  bereskith,  the  be-' 
ginning.  It  has  been  remarked  at- 
ko  that  5,^.,  which  is  entirely  wanting 


A.  C.  1137.] 


CHAPTER  XII. 


325 


dan.  And  there  fell  at  that  time 
of  the  Ephraimites  forty  and 
two  thousand. 

7  And  Jephthah  judged  Israel 
six  years :    then  died  Jephthah 


in  many  languages,  is  of  peculiarly 
difficult    pronunciation    to    persons 
whose  organs  have  not  in  childhood 
been  inured  to  it.    The  word  chosen 
by  the  Gileadites  as  a  test-word  sig- 
nifies o,n  ear   of   corn,   and  also  a 
stream,  and  was,  perhaps,  suggested 
by  being  the  name  of  the  object  im- 
mediately before  them,  the  river  on 
the  banks  of  which  they  stood.  '  Sib- 
boleth,'  on  the  other  hand,  denotes 
a  burde7i,  and  how  these  different 
objects  were  distinguished    in    the 
pronunciation  of  the  Ephraimites,  it 
is  difficult  to  say.     Differences  of 
pronunciation,  however,  even  among 
those  speaking  the  same  language, 
or  the  same  dialect  are  nothing  ex- 
traordinary.     In  later  times,  Peter 
was  easily  distinguished  as  a  Gali- 
lean in  Pilate's  hall  by  his  pronun- 
ciation, Mark  14.  70,  and  travellers 
in  the  East  inform  us,  that  the  Ara- 
bic of  Cairo,  of  Aleppo,  and  of  Bag- 
dad, is  so  different,  that  one  who  has 
made    himself  master   of  this   lan- 
guage in  one  of  these  cities,  cannot, 
without  great  difficulty,  understand 
or  be  understood  in  the  others.     Eng- 
land itself  offers  considerable  variety 
both  of  dialect  and  modes  of  pronun- 
ciation, and  so  probably  does  every 
other  country.     ^\He  covld  not  frame 
to  pronounce  it  right.     Heb.  '  he  did 
not  direct  to  speak  it  so  :'  i.  e.  so  as 
he  was  required.     The  original  does 
not  say  that  he  could  not,  but  that  he 
did  not ;  because,  perhaps,  not  sus- 
pecting the  design,  he  may  have  ut- 
tered it  rapidly  in  his  usual  mann  er. 
Still  the  present  translation  is  by  no 
means  a  bad  one.       IT  And  slew  him. 
The  predominant  usage  of  the  ori- 
ginal is  in  reference  to  that  kind  of 
slaughter  which  was  common  in  the 
case  of  animal  victims  offered  upon 
the  altar;  i.  e.  by  cutting  the  throat, 
jugulatiori ;  as  if  they  made  the  ina- 
bility of  the  organs  of  speech  in  the 
28* 


the  Gileadite,  and  was  buried  in 
one  of  the  cities  of  Gilead. 

8  H  And  after   him    Ibzan  of 
Beth-lehem  judged  Israel. 

9  And  he  had  thirty  sons  and 

throat  to  utter  certain  sounds,  a  pre- 
tence for  putting  them  to  death  in 
this  manner.         IT  There  fell— forty 
and  two   thousand.     Heb.     D'^S'IS^ii^ 
rbs*  t:"':"i:31-     As  the  Hebrew  mode 
of  enumeration  is  peculiar,  the  co- 
pulative 1  vati  here  may  perhaps  im- 
ply simplv  addition,  so  that  the  sum 
will  be  2040  instead  of  42,000.     At 
the  last  census,  Num.  26.  37,  the 
whole  tribe  of  Ephraim  only  amoun- 
ted to  32,500,  compared  with  which 
the  last  number  appears  far  too  great ; 
especially  as  it  is  reasonable  to  be- 
lieve that   only  a  part  of  the  tribe 
crossed  the  Jordan  on  this  expedition. 
7.    Was  buried  in  one  of  the  cities 
of  Gilead.     Heb.   '  in  the  cities  of 
Gilead.'      A   curious   specimen  of 
Rabbinical   conceit  and  of  the  not 
unfrequent  style  of  their  exposition, 
is  afforded  in  Raschi's  remarks  up- 
on these  words.    From  him  we  learn 
that  the  ancient  Jewish  doctors  main- 
tained that  Jepthah,  as  a  punishment 
for  putting  his  daughter  to  death,  was 
visited   by  a  disease    that   loosened 
the  joints  of  the  different  limbs  and 
members  of  his  body,  and   caused 
them  to  fall  off  one  after  another, 
from  time  to  lime  as  he  was  passing 
to  and  fro  over  the  country,  and  that 
they  were  buried  separately,  where- 
ever  they  happened  to  drop,  so  that 
when  he  died,  it  could  be  said,  from 
this  general  distribution  of  his  mem- 
bers, that  he  was  '  buried  in  the  cities 
of  Gilead  r     But  how  a  man  could 
be  in  a  travelling  condition,  while 
his  body  was  thus  falling  to  pieces, 
is  a  part  of  the  story  which  is  wisely 
passed  over  in  silence.    The  phrase- 
ology   is    doubtless    idiomatic,   the 
plural  being  pat  for  the  singular,  as 
Gen.  19.  29,   where  Lot  is  said  to 
have  dwelt'  in  the  cities,''  i.  e.  in  one 
of  the  cities.    So  Jonah  1.  5,  the  sides 
of  the  ship  appears  to  denote  one  of 
the  sides. 


326 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1112. 


thirty  daughters  wliom  he  sent 
abroad,  and  took  in  thirty  daugh- 
ters from  abroad  for  his  sons  : 
and  he  judged  Israel  seven  years. 

10  Then  died  Ibzan,  and  was 
buried  at  Beth-lehem. 

11  H  And  after  him  Elon,  a 
Zebulonite,  judged  Israel,  and  he 
judged  Israel  ten  years. 

12  And  Elon  the  Zebulonite 
died,  and  was  buried  in  Aijalon 
in  the  country  of  Zebulun. 


8.  Ibzan  of  BetMehcm.  The  Beth- 
lehem here  mentioned,  if  we  may 
believe  Josephiis,  was  that  in  the 
iribe  of  Judah,  and  not  that  ir.  Zebu- 
lun, of  which  see  Josh.  19,  5.  The 
Jewish  critics,  for  the  most  part, 
consider  this  Ibzan  to  have  been  the 
same  person  with  Boaz,  spoken  of 
in  the  book  of  Ruth  ;  but  the  opinion 
rests  upon  conjecture  alone.  No- 
thing memorable  is  related  of  him, 
except  the  circumstance  mentioned 
in  the  next  verse. 

9.  Had  thirty  sons  and  thirty 
daughters.  Where  polygamy  was 
practised,  such  a  numerous  progeny 
is  not  surprising.  Parallel  instances 
in  modern  times  are  recited  in  abun- 
dance by  eastern  travellers.  !! 
Whom  he  sent  abroad.  Or,  Heb. 
'out  of  doors.'  That  is,  disposed  of 
in  marriage  to  other  families. 
Hence  the  Vulg.  paraphrastically, 
but  not  incorrectly, '  Whom  he  send- 
ing abroad  gave  to  husbands;'  and 
so  in  the  ensuing  clause,  '  Took 
wives  for  his  sons  of  the  same  num- 
ber, bringing  them  into  his  house.' 
Ibzan's  lot,  in  this  respect,  contrasted 
strikingly  with  that  of  his  predeces- 
sor Jepthah. 

14.  Thirty  nephews.  That  is, 
grandsons  ;  Heb.  '  sons'  sons.'  On 
the  opulence  and  dignity  implied  in 
riding  upon  white  asses,  see  ch.  5. 
10,  and  10.  4. 

15.  In  the  mount  of  the  Amalekites. 
For  a  probable  account  of  the  reason 
why  this  place  was  so  called,  see  on 


13  H  And  after  him  Abdon 
the  son  of  HiUel,  a  Pirathonite, 
judged  Israel. 

14  And  he  had  forty  sons  and 
thirty  nephews,  that  ^rode  on 
ttiree-score  and  ten  ass  colts: 
and  he  judged  Israel  eight  years. 

15  And  Abdon  the  son  of  Hil- 
lel,  the  Pirathonite  died,  and  was 
buried  in  Pirathon  in  tb.e  land  of 
Ephraim,  ^in  the  mount  of  the 
Amalekites. 

c  ch  5.  10.  &  10.  4.         f  ch.  3.  13,  27.  &  5.  14. 

ch.  5.  14.  It  does  not  appear  certain 
that  any  th  ing  remarkable  took  place 
in  the  civil  state  of  the  Israelites, 
during  the  time  of  these  latter  judges, 
though  Lightfoot  supposes,  with 
some  plausibility,  that  the  forty 
years'  oppression  of  the  Philistines 
commenced  in  the  days  of  Elon  the 
Zebulonite,  and  was  gradually  wax- 
ing more  and  more  severe  through 
the  subsequent  administrations.  Pre- 
vious, however,  to  the  birth  of  Sam- 
son, it  had  not  gained  sufficient  head 
to  make  it  worthy  of  particular  re- 
cord in  the  inspired  narrative.  But 
it  has  been  well  remarked,  that  the 
happiest  life  of  individuals,  and  the 
happiest  state  of  society,  is  that  which 
affords  the  fewest  remarkable  events. 
The  people,  in  the  main,  enjoyed 
peace  without,  and  freedom  from 
discord  and  sedition,  though  still  the 
leaven  of  their  idolatrous  propen- 
sities was  secretly  working  and  pre- 
paring them  for  new  troubles  in  the 
end.  As  to  these  several  judges,  the 
principal  fact  mentioned  in  regard 
to  each  is,  that  he  lived,  acted  as 
judge,  and  died.  Death,  the  lot  of 
man,  at  last  claims  his  due  of  the 
great  and  the  good,  and  whatever 
else  we  may  hear  of  any  man,  we 
are  sure  to  hear  one  thing — that' he 
died:  unless  indeed  our  own  depar- 
ture hence  anticipates  his. 


A.  C.  1161.] 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


827 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A  ND  the  children  oflsrael  ^did 
evil  aiTain  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord;   and  the  Lord  delivered 
them  '^'into  the  hand  of  the  Phil- 
istines forty  years. 

2  •[  And  there  was  a  certain 
man  of  "^Zorah,  of  the  family  of 
the   Danites,  whose   name   was 

a  ch.  2.  II.  &  3.  7.  &  4.  1.  &  6.  1.  &  lU.  6.    b  1  Sara. 
U.  9.         c.lo;,h.  19.  41. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

1.  Did  evil  again.  Heb.  '  added 
to  commit ;'  i.  e.  by  apostatizing 
from  God's  pure  worship  and  falling 
into  idolatry.  See  on  ch.  3.  7. — 6. 
11. — 10.  6.  IT  Delivered  them  into 
the  hand  of  the  Philistines  forty 
years.  This  period  is  not  to  be  un- 
derstood as  con.stituting  an  interreg- 
num between  Abdon  and  Samson, 
for  this  would  not  consist  with  the 
chronology  given  1  Kings,  6.  1,  or 
with  the  intimation  v.  5  below,  that 
the  Israelites  were  already  sutfering 
under  the  rod  of  the  Philistines  when 
Samson  was  raised  up  for  a  deliv- 
erer. The  probability  is,  as  Samson 
is  said  to  have  'judged  Israel  twenty 
years  in  the  days  of  the  Philistines,^ 
i.  e.  during  the  period  of  their  as- 
cendancy, that  the  other  twenty  is  to 
be  taken  out  of  the  limes  of  the  pre- 
vious judges,  Avhich  will  carry  us  up 
at  least  to  the  time  of  Elon,  as  sug- 
gested by  Lightfoot,  ch.  12.  15,  for 
the  commencement  of  their  oppres- 
sion. In  order  to  gain  a  still  fuller 
view  of  the  chain  of  events  here  re- 
corded we  must  revert  back  to  ch. 
10.  6,  7,  where  it  is  said  that  the 
Lord  was  angry  with  his  people, 
'  and  sold  them  into  the  hands  of  the 
Philistines  and  into  the  hands  of  the 
children  of  Ammon,'  Of  these  two 
servitudes,  the  last  with  the  deliver- 
ance from  it  by  Jepthah,  is  treated 
first.  This  occupies  the  two  preced- 
ing chapters.  Having  dispatched 
that,  the  historian  now  returns  back 
and  takes  up  the  history  of  the  other 
oppression,  and  brings  It  down  to  the 
death  of  Samson. 


Manoali  ;  and  his  wife  was  bar- 
ren, and  bare  not. 

3  And  the  ^angel  of  the  Lord 
appeared  unto  the  woman,  and 
said  unto  her,  Behold,  now  thou 
art  barren,  and  bearest  not: 
but  thou .  shalt  conceive,  and 
bear  a  son. 

4  Now  therefore   beware,  I 

dch.  6.  12.     Luke  1.  II,  13,  28,  31. 

2.  A  certain  man  of  Zora.  Of  the 
city  of  Zora;  a  town  in  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  but  afterwards  given  to  Dan, 
being  situated  near  the  confines  of 
each  tribe.  Josh.  15.  33.  IT  Of 
the  family  of  the  Danites.  That  is, 
of  the  tribe  of  Dan.  The  Avord  is 
properly  a  colleciive  singular  for  the 
plural.  IT  Was  barren  and  bare 
not.  An  emphatic  repetition  in  va- 
ried phrase  ;  of  frequent  occurrence 
in  the  sacred  writers.  Thus  Gen. 
11.  30,  '  But  Sarai  was  barren  ;  she 
had  no  child.'  John.  1.  3,  '  All  things 
were  made  by  him,  and  without  him 
was  not  any  thing  made  that  was 
made.'  v.  20,  'And  he  confessed, 
and  denied  not.'  '  If  Manoah's  wife 
had  not  been  barren,  the  angel  had 
not  been  sent  to  her.  Afflictions 
have  this  advantage,  that  they  occa- 
sion God  to  show  that  mercy  to  us, 
whereof  the  prosperous  are  incapa- 
ble.'    Bp.  Hall. 

3.  The  angel  of  the  Lord.  The 
uncreated  angel,  the  Angel  Jeho- 
vah, so  often  spoken  of  in  the  pre- 
ceding narrative,  and  who  appeared 
to  Moses,  to  Joshua,  to  Gideon,  and 
others.  Evidence  of  this  will  dis- 
close itself  as  we  proceed. 

4.  Ben-are— drink  not  icine,  &c. 
As  the  child,  whose  birth  was  now- 
announced,  was  to  be  a  Nazarite  from 
the  womb,  the  mother  herself  was  to 
be  subjected  to  the  law  of  the  Naza- 
rites,  that  the  sanctification  of  her  son 
might  commence  from  herself.  She 
must,  during  the  period  of  gestation 
and  nursing,  abstain  from  wine  and 
every  inebriating  liquor,  and  all 
kinds  of  forbidden   food      Things 


328 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1161. 


pray  thee,  and  'drink  not  wine, 
nor  strong  drink,  and  eat  not 
any  unclean  thing : 

5  For  lo,  thou  shalt  conceive, 
and  bear  a  son;  and  no  ^razor 
sliall  come  on  his  head  :  (or  the 
child  shall  be  sa  Nazarite  unto 
God  from  the  womb  :  and  he 
shall  ''begin  to  deliver  Israel  out 
of  the  hand  of  the  Philistmes. 

ever  H  Num.  6.2,  3.  Luke  1.  15.  I  Num.  6  5. 
ISam.  1  11.  g  ."^um.  6.  2.  h  See  1  Sam.  7.  13 
2  Sam.  S.  1.     1  <  hr.  13.  1. 


6  IF  Then  the  woman  came 
and  told  her  husband,  saying, 
ia  man  of  God  came  unto  me, 
and  his  '"'countenance  was  like 
tiie  countenance  of  an  angel  of 
God,  very  terrible  :  but  I  lasked 
him  not  whence  he  icas,  neither 
told  he  me  his  name: 

7  But   he  said  unto  me.  Be- 
!  hold,  thou   shalt   conceive,  and 


that  would  be  lawful  at  another  time, 
were  to  be  refrained  from  now.   The 
nourishment  of  her  child  would  par- 
take of  the  qualities  of  her  own,  and 
this  future  deliverer  of  Israel  must 
be  in  the  strictest  manner  and  through 
every  period  an  example  of  separa- 
tion "and  consecration  lo  God.     As  it 
was  designed  also  that  he  should  be 
a  person  of  superhuman  strength, 
there  was  perhaps  a  fitness  in  the 
mother's  temperance   as  a  natural 
means  to  produce  this  result,  though 
a  miraculous  agency  was  requisite 
over  and  above  all  other  means  what- 
ever.    '  The  mother  must  conceive 
the  only  giant  of  Israel,  and  yet  must 
drink  bul:  water;   neithe,r  mu.st  the 
child  touch  any  other  cup.     Never 
wine  made  so  strong  a  champion  as 
water  did  here.     He  that  gave  that 
power  to  the  grape,  can  give  it  to  the 
stream.     O  God,  how  justly  do  we 
raise  our  eyes  from  our  tables  unto 
thee,  which  canst  make  water  nour- 
ish and  wine  enfeeble  us  !'  Bp.  Hall. 
IT  Eat  not  any  unclean  thing.     Un- 
clean meats  were  forbidden  to  all  Is- 
raelites at  all  times;  but  especially 
and  pre-eminently  so  to  the  Nazarite, 
Lev.  11. 1 — 47.     It  was  perhaps  sole- 
ly for  this  reason  that  the  precept 
was  repeated  at  this  time  and  on  this 
occasion ;    though    ScoU    supposes, 
not  unreasonably,  that  the  distinction 
of  meats  was  not  strictly  observed  at 
this  time,  as  otherwise  she  would 
scarcely  have  needed  such  a  caution. 
5.  No  razor  shall  come  on  his  head. 
Heb.*  shall  go  up  on  his  head,'     The 


i  Deui  33.  I.  1  Sam  2  27.  &  9.  6.  1  Kings  17.  24. 
k  Mali.  S8.  3.  Luke  9.  29.  Acls  6.  1.5.  1  ver.  17. 
18. 


hair  of  his  head  shall  neither  be 
shorn  nor  shaven.  Of  this  part  of 
the  Nazarite's  vow,  see  on  Num.  6. 
IT  For  the  child  shall  be  a  Nazarite 
unto  God  from  the  womb.  For  a  full 
account  of  this  peculiar  feature  of 
the  Mosaic  institute,  see  on  Num.  6. 
— Oriental  usage  at  the  present  day 
affords  a  striking  parallel  to  what  is 
here  recorded.  '  All  who  are  mar- 
ried in  the  East.'  says  Mr.  Roberts, 
'  have  an  intense  desire  for  children. 
It  is  considered  disgraceful,  and  a 
mark  of  the  displeasure  of  the  gods, 
to  have  a  childless  house.  Under 
these  circumstances,  husbands  and 
wives  perform  expensive  ceremo- 
nies ;  and  vow  that  should  the  gods 
favor  them  with  a  son,  '  no  razor 
shall  come  upon  his  head'  (i.  e.  ex- 
cept upon  the  '  corners,')  until  he 
shall  be  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age. 
In  all  schools,  boys  may  be  seen  with 
elf-locks  of  ten  or  twelve  years' 
standing,  giving"  a  testimony  to  the 
solicitude,  superstition,  and  affection 
of  the  parents,  and  a  memorial  of  the 
favor  of  the  gods.'  H  He  shall  begin 
to  deliver  Israel.  This  intimated 
that  Israel's  oppression  should  en- 
dure long;  for  deliverance  from  it 
was  not  so  much  as  to  begin,  not 
even  the  first  step  to  be  taken,  till 
this  child,  now  unborn,  should  grow 
up  to  years  of  maturity  and  become 
capable  of  undertaking  it.  And  even 
then  he  was  not  to  complete  the  de- 
liverance; he  was  only  to  begin  it; 
for  the  yoke  of  the  Philistines  was 
not  fully  shaken  off  the  neck  of  Is- 


A.  C.  1161.] 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


329 


bear  a  son  ;  and  now  drink  no 
wine  nor  strong  drink,  neither 
eat  any  unclean  thing  :  for  the 
child  shall  be  a  Nazarite  to  God 
from  the  womb  to  the  day  of  his 
death. 

8  IT  Then  Manoah  entreated 
the  Lord,  and  said,  O  my  Lord, 
let  the  man  of  God  which   thou 

rael  till  ihe  time  of  David.  Thus 
'  God  carries  on  his  work  gradually, 
and  by  sev^eral  hands.  One  lays  ihe 
foundation  of  a  good  work,  another 
builds,  and  perhaps  a  third  brings 
forth  the  top-stone.'  Henry.  Christ 
on  the  othor  hand,  the  great  counter- 
part of  Samson,  both  begins  and  per- 
fects his  people's  salvation  ;  he  is  at 
once  the  Author  and  Finisher  of 
faith. 

6.  A  man  of  God.  So  called  be- 
cause he  appeared  in  human  form, 
leading  her  to  suppose  him  merely 
a  prophet  sent  from  God.  So  after- 
wards V.  8,  10,  11.  She  seems,  how- 
ever, to  have  had  a  strong  suspicion 
that  he  was  something  more  than 
human.  IT  Very  terrible.  Rather; 
perhaps,  venerable,  awful,  full  of 
majesty;  such  as  at  once  to  inspire 
the  deepest  respect  and  reverence; 
so  that  according  to  every  idea  she 
could  form  on  the  subject  his  coun- 
tenance very  much  resembled  that 
of  an  angel. 

8.  Let  the  man  of  God- — come  again 
iinto  11$,  and  teach  us,  &c.  Josephus 
represents  the  second  appearance  of 
the  angel  as  essential  to  Manoah's 
peace  of  mind,  as  his  excessive  at- 
tachment to  his  wife,  made  him  jeal- 
ous of  her  conversation  with  a  stran- 
ger. But  the  narrative  contains  no- 
thing to  warrant  such  an  insinua- 
tion. On  the  other  hand,  his  request 
appears  to  have  been  prompted  by  a 
strong  faith  and  a  high  esteem  of 
the  promised  blessing,  and  a  sincere 
desire  to  receive  farther  intimations 
of  duty.  He  may  have  thought  it 
possible  too  that  his  wife's  joy  for  the 
promise  should  have  made  her  forget 
§ome  part  of  the  charge  which  the 


didst  send  come  again  unto  us, 
and  teach  us  what  we  shall  do 
unto  the  child  that  shall  be  born. 
9  And  God  hearkened  to  the 
voice  of  Manoah  ;  and  the  angel 
of  God  came  again  unto  the  wo- 
man as  she  sat  in  the  field  :  but 
Mar.oah  her  liusband  ivas  not 
with  her. 

angel  connected  with  it.  On  this 
point  he  would  be  fully  informed; 
he  dreads  the  possibility  of  a  mistake 
'  When  1  see  the  strength  of  Ma- 
noah's faith,  1  marvel  not  that  he  had 
a  Samson  to  his  son ;  he  saw  not  the 
messenger,  he  heard  not  the  errand, 
he  examined  not  the  circumstances; 
yet  now  he  takes  thouglu,  not 
whether  he  should  have  a  son,  but 
how  he  shall  order  the  son  which  he 
must  have.  Zecharias  had  the  same 
message,  and  craving  a  sign  lost  the 
voice  wherewith  he  craved  it:  Ma- 
noah seeks  no  sign  for  the  promise, 
but  counsel  for  himself.  Happy  are 
they  that  have  not  seen,  yet  believed: 
true  faith  takes  all  for  granted,  yea, 
for  performed,  that  is  promised.' 
Bp.  Hall.  The  petition  of  Manoah 
reminds  us  also  that  the  care  of  chil- 
dren is  a  great  concern,  and  that  those 
who  have  the  parental  relation  in 
prospect  can  make  no  more  suitable 
prayer  at  the  throne  of  grace  than 
that  of  the  pious  Danite  on  this  oc- 
casion. Who  upon  the  eve  of  be- 
coming parents  has  not  need  to  say, 
'  Teach  us  what  we  shall  do  to  the 
child  that  shall  be  born.' 

9.  And  God  hearkened — a7id  the 
a7igel  of  God  came  again.  The 
phraseology  here  is  worthy  of  notice. 
The  sacred  writer  does  not  say, 
'  And  God  hearkened  to  the  voice  of 
Manoah,  and  sent  his  angel,'  but, 
'  God  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  Ma- 
noah and  the  angel  of  God  came 
again,'  implying  that  it  was  the  God 
who  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  his 
servant  that  came  in  the  person  of 
his  Son.  He  perhaps  appeared  to 
Manoah's  wife  a  second  time  rather 
than  to  Manoah  himself,  because  she 


330 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1161. 


16  And  the  woman  made 
haste,  and  ran,  and  showed  her 
husband,  and  said  unto  him,  Be- 
hold, the  man  hath  appeared 
unto  me,  that  came  unto  me  the 
other  day. 

11  And  Manoah  arose,  and 
went  after  his  wife,  and  came  to 
the  man,  and  said  unto  him,  Art 
thou  the  man  that  spakest  unto 
the  woman  ?    And  he  said,  I  am. 

12  And  Manoah  said.  Now 
let   thy  words    come   to    pass. 


was  more  especially  interested  both 
in  the  blessing  and  the  charge  than 
he  was.  He  may  also  have  had  o:her 
reasons  unknown  to  us.  The  divine 
condescension  in  granting  a  repeti- 
tion of  the  visit  is  loo  striking  to  be 
overlooked.  How  clearly  does  it 
prove  that  nothing  is  more  accepta- 
ble to  God  than  a  sincere  desire  to 
know  our  duty,  and  that  sooner  than 
our  prayers  to  that  etfect  shall  go  un- 
answered, a  heavenly  messenger 
shall  be  sent  for  our  instruction. 
But  thanks  be  to  God,  with  the  Bible 
and  the  Holy  Spirit  for  our  guides 
we  have  no  need  of  angelic  instruc- 
ions  to  direct  us  what  to  do. 

10.  And  ike  v-oman  made  haste,  and 
ran,  &c.  Doubtless  after  humbly 
entreating  the  messenger  to  stay,  and 
obtaining  his  consent.  Those  who 
have  met  with  a  refreshing  visit  from 
God  cannotbut  instinctively  exclaim, 
'Return  O  God  of  hosts,  return;' 
and  when  the  favor  is  granted,  how 
ardently  do  they  long  thatttjose  who 
are  near  and  dear  to" them  may  also 
share  in  the  comfort  and  sweetness 
of  their  divine  communion.  What 
is  the  fellowship  of  husbands  and 
wives  if  it  extend  not  to  a  mutual 
communication  of  each  other's  reli- 
gious experiences,  of  their  hopes  and 
fears,  joys  and  sorrows'? 

12,  Let  thy  words,  come  to  pass. 
This  clause  as  it  reads  in  our  trans- 
lation is  simply  the  expression  of  an 
earnest  wish,  that  the  promise  gra- 


How  shall  we  order  the  child, 
and  how  shall  we  do  unto  him. 

13  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
said  unto  Manoah,  Of  all  that  I 
said  unto  the  woman,  let  her  be- 
ware. 

14  She  may  not  eat  of  any 
thing  that  cometh  of  the  vine, 
'"neither  let  her  drink  wine  or 
strong  drink,  nor  eat  any  un- 
clean thing  :  all  that  I  command- 
ed her  let  her  observe. 

15  IT  And  Manoah   said   unto 


ciously  made  to  his  wife  may  be  ful- 
filled. It  is  a  kind  of  pious  amen  to 
the  angel's  previous  announcement  j 
and  this  was  probably  his  real  feel- 
ing ;  but  the  Heb.  may  properly  be 
rendered,  '  and  now  thy  words  shall 
come  to  pass,'  intimating  his  most 
implicit  confidence  in  the  promise. 
'Lord,  1  lay  hold  upon  what  thou 
hast  said,  and  depend  upon  it  with 
the  most  unwavering  assurance/ 
TI  Hoiv  shall  we  order  the  child  and 
horv  shall  we  do  unto  him  ?  Heb. 
'  what  shall  be  the  rule,  prescription, 
institution  (toSiaTi)  in  regard  to  the 
child,  and  what  our  doing  ("inD5>?2) 
towards  him  V  That  is,  what  shall 
be  his  training  1  how  shall  we  edu- 
cate hhiil  The  former  term,  which 
is  usually  trains\sLled  judgment  or  or- 
dinance,  seems  to  imply  the  divine 
disposition  or  purpose  in  regard  to  the 
child,  and  the  latter  the  proper  mode 
of  executing  or  accomplishing  it  on 
their  part.  Though  the  literal  ren- 
dering of  in:U5>?a  is  his  icork  or  doing, 
yet  the  import  is  obviously  2t-hat  is 
done  to  or  towards  him,  just  as  in  Gen. 
50.  4,  the  phrase  '  days  of  his  mourn- 
ing' means  the  days  of  mournins  for 
him.  So  also  Job,  41.9.  '  The  hope 
of  him  (the  leviathan)  is  vain,'  i.  e. 
the  hope  of  taking  him. 

13.  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  said, 
&c.  It  might  seem  at  first  view  that 
the  angel's  answer  was  not  pertinent 
to  the  question.  Manoah  inquired 
what  conduct  they  should  observe  ia 


A.  C.  1181.] 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


331 


the  anjrel  of  the  Lord,  I  pray 
thee,  "let  us  detain  thee,  until 
we  shall  have  made  ready  a  kid 
for  thee. 

16  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
said  unto  Manoah,  Though  thou 
detain  me,  I  will  not  eat  of  thy 


regard  to  the  child ;  the  angel  in  his 
reply  merely  reiterates  the  charge  he 
had  before  given  in  respect  to  the 
mother.  In  explanation  we  may  re- 
mark, that  the  child  to  be  born  was 
to  be  a  Nazarite  set  apart  and  conse- 
crated to  God  Until  the  period  of 
his  birth,  therefore,  and  while  at  the 
breast,  she  was,  for  his  sake,  to  ab- 
stain from  all  the  things  inhibited 
above.  But  if  it  was  solely  for  the 
child's  sake  that  these  commands 
were  laid  upon  her,  the  inference 
would  be  very  fair,  that  he  also  was 
to  be  taught  to  govern  himself  by  the 
same  rules,  and  it  was  the  duty  of 
his  parents  to  see  that  this  was  the 
case.  In  fact  it  was  this  that  consti- 
tuted the  very  essence  of  his  Naza- 
rite state.  The  directions,  therefore, 
relative  to  the  child  were  really  in- 
volved in  those  that  had  respect  to 
the  mother,  and  it  would  require  no 
far-fetched  construction  so  to  under- 
stand them.  The  divine  injunctions 
are  not  always  given  in  the  most  di- 
rect form,  but  to  a  heart  rightly  dis- 
posed they  are  always  intelligible. 

15.  Until  ice  shall  have  made  ready 
a  kid  for  thee.  Heb.  '  before  thee!' 
Not  yet  aware  of  the  true  character 
of  his  visiter.  Manoah  proposed  this 
as  an  act  of  hospitality. 

16.  I  vill  not  eat  of  thy  bread.  As 
the  proffer  of  Manoah  was  to  serve 
up  for  the  angel  a  dish  of  kid's  flesh, 
the  term,  '  bread'  here  must  be  taken 
■with  some  latitude  to  signify  food  in 
general ;  a  sense  which  it  evidently 
bears  2  Kings,  6.  22,  23.  Matt.  6. 11. 
IT  And  if  thou  milt  offer  a  burnt-offer- 
hig.  Rather,  ^but  if  thou  wilt  offer,' 
&c.,  To  us  this  part  of  the  angel's 
answer  seems  to  be  made,  not  so 
much  to  what  Manoah  actually  said, 


was  an  angel 


bread  :  and  if  thou  wilt  offer  a 
hurnt-offering  tliou  must  offer  it 
unto  the  Lord.  For  Manoah 
knew  not  that  he 
of  the  Lord. 

17  And  Manoah  said  unto  the 
angel  of  the  Lord,  What  is  thy 


as  to  what  he  was  inwardly  revolv- 
ing in  his  own  mind.  If  we  mistake 
not,  he  had  by  this  time  began  to  en- 
tertain suspicions  that  the  personage 
with  whom  he  was  conversing  was 
truly  divine ;  and  if  so,  he  could  not 
but  he  aware  that  a  sacrificial  offer- 
ing was  a  more  suitable  expression 
of  the  sentiments  with  which  he 
ought  to  regard  him,  than  a  common, 
meal ;  and  as  the  tradition  of  Gide- 
on's offering  under  similar  circum- 
stances at  a  former  period,  and  the 
manner  of  its  reception,  had  doubt- 
less come  down  to  him,  he  appears 
to  have  been  at  this  time  wavering  in 
his  own  mind  like  his  renowned 
predecessor  as  to  what  should  be  the 
real  character  of  the  offering  that  he 
now  proposed  to  make.  The  angel 
perceiving  this  answers  him  accord- 
ingly. He  does  not  forbid  him  to 
present  a  burnt-offering,  but  he 
would  have  him  do  it  intelligently; 
he  would  have  him  assured  as  to  the 
true  character  of  the  object  of  his 
worship.  In  saying,  '  If  thou  wilt 
offer  a  burnt-ofi'ering,  thou  must  offer 
it  unto  the  Lord,'  he  does  not  deny 
that  he  was  himself  Jehovah,  or  inti- 
mate that  he  would  decline  the  honor 
which  Manoah  intended,  any  more 
than  our  Saviour  wouldintimate  that 
he  was  not  good,  when,  being  ad- 
dressed by  the  title  '  good  master,' 
he  replied,  'there  is  none  good  but 
God.'  In  both  cases  his  answer  has 
reference  to  the  state  of  mind  of  the 
speaker,  or  to  the  light  in  v^hich  they 
regarded  him.  Here  he  merely  in- 
tended to  say,  that  though  he  might 
offer  him  a  common  meal  as  a  man, 
yet  it  would  not  do  to  offer  him  a 
sacrifice  as  such,  or  while  he  was 
not  in  possession  o[  full  evidence  ihaX 


332 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1161. 


name,  that  when  thy  sayings 
come  to  pass,  we  may  do  thee 
honor  ? 

18  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord 


the  being  he  thus  proposed  to  honor 
was  indeed  divine.  This  evidence 
lie  had  not  yet  gained,  and  therefore 
it  is  immediately  added,  'For  Ma- 
noah  knew  not  (had  not  a  clear  con- 
viction) that  it  was  an  angel  (rather, 
the  angel)  of  the  Lord;'  i.  e.  the 
Angel-Jehovah ;  but  he  was  soon 
to  be  assured  that  he  was.  The 
whole  address  of  the  angel  appears 
to  be  framed  wi^h  reference  to  the 
manifestation  wnich  he  was  just 
about  to  make. 

17.  Wliat  is  thy  name?  Heb. 
'  who  is  thy  name?'  Name  in  refer- 
ence to  the  Supreme  Being  is  in 
Scripture  style  very  much  the  same 
as  nature ;  and  we  suppose  this  to 
be  the  real  drift  of  Manoah's  ques- 
tion, to  learn  the  nature,  the  essen- 
tial character,  of  the  mysterious 
being  whom  he  addressed;  for  that 
he  regarded  him  as  a  superhuman 
personage  cannot,  we  think,  be 
doubted  from  an  attentive  examina- 
tion of  the  passage.  At  any  rate,  the 
answer  of  the  angel,  as  we  shall  see, 
■was  adapted  to  such  a  scope  in  Ma- 
noah's interrogation.  That  he  was 
prompted  by  somewhat  of  an  unhal- 
lowed curiosity  in  making  the  in- 
quiry is  indeed  supposed  by  many 
commentators,  but  we  see  nothing  in 
the  text  to  warrant  it.  On  the  other 
hand,  we  know  no  reason  to  doubt 
that  he  was  really  actuated  by  the 
motive  assigned,  a  disposition  to  ren- 
der him  due  honor  and  thanks  when 
the  promise  should  be  fulfilled. 

18.  Why  askest  thou  thus  after  my 
name,  seeing  it  is  secret  7  This  has 
at  first  blush  the  air  of  a  rebuke  for 
putting  such  a  question ;  but  compar- 
ing it  with  what  follows  we  imagine 
it  is  such  in  appearance  only.  A  re- 
buke supposes  something  criminal 
or  censurable  in  him  who  is  the  sub- 
ject of  it.  But  what  offence  could 
attach  to  a  respectful  and  reverential 


said  unto  him,  °Why  askest  thou 
thus  after  my  name,  seeing  it  is 
secret  ? 

19  So    ]Manoah    took    a  kid, 


o  Gen.  32.  29. 


question  of  this  kind"?  Why  was  the 
mere  secrecy  of  the  name  a  reason  for 
its  not  being  asked "?    Was  it  not  in 
fact  for  this  very  reason  that  he  did 
ask  if]    We  admit,  indeed,  that  if 
Manoah  ha.&\)Qen  previously  inform- 
ed that  the  name  was  ineffable — that 
it  was  designed  to  be  kept  a  profound 
secret — he  would  have  been  guilty 
of  high  presumption  in  demanding 
it.     But  we  see  no  evidence  of  this  in 
any  part  of  the  sacred  text,  and  con- 
clude therefore  that  the  angel  made 
use  of  this   interrogative   form    of 
speech  merely  in  order  to  introduce 
in  the  most  suitable  and  impressive 
manner  the  declaration  that  follows 
constituting  the  real  point  of  his  re- 
ply.    '  It  is  secret;' — or  rather  as  in 
the  margin,  '  It  is  wonderful,'  for  so 
the  original  (n^^^^t:,)  properly  implies, 
and  so  is  it  expressly  rendered.  Is.  9. 
6,  '  His  name  shall  be  called   Wonr- 
derful  (i^^c);'  i-  e.  his  nature,  his 
character  shall  be  wonderful ;  pro- 
perly implying  that  kind  of  wonder 
which  is  the  natural  effect  of  mira- 
cles, of  marvellous  and  superhuman 
works.       In    apparently     declining 
therefore  to  reveal  his  name  he  does 
in  fact  make  known  one  of  his  most 
august  and  glorious  titles,  one  which 
went  far  towards  conveying  an  idea 
of  the  divine  attributes  of  his  nature, 
and  one  which  was  therefore  emi- 
nently appropriate   to  the  drift    of 
Manoah's  question.     The  implica- 
tion probably  is,  '  You  have  scarcely 
any  real  occasion  to  inquire  as  to 
my  name  (nature;)    it  is   obvious 
from  the  words,  promises,  and  ac- 
tions already  witnessed  and  yet  fur- 
ther to  be  displayed,  that  lam,  and 
am  therefore  to  be  called,  Peli,  the 
Admirable  One,  the  great   Worker  of 
wonders,  the    Master    of   miracles.' 
The  origial  "15^^!:  has  the  form  of  a 
proper'name,  but  the  force  of  an  appel- 
lative.   Whether  he  lully  understood 


A.  C.  1161.] 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


with  a  meat-offering,  Pand  offer- 
ed it  upon  a  rocli:  unto  the  Lord  ; 
and  the  angel  did  wondrously, 
and  Manoah  and  his  wife  looked 


on. 


20  For  it  came  to  pass,  when 
the  flame  went  up  toward  heaven 
from  off  the  altar,  that  the  an- 
gel of  the  Lord  ascended  in  the 


p  ch.  6.  19,  20. 


its  entire  import  is  perhaps  to  be 
doubted;  but  whether  he  did  or  not, 
the  declaration  is  to  us,  considered  iri 
one  point  of  view,  immensely  impor- 
tant; for  by  assuming  a  title  which 
unquestionably  belongs  to  the  pro- 
mised Messiaii,  he  identifies  himself 
with  that  divine  personage,  and  con- 
sequently puts  it  beyond  a  doubt  who 
it  is  that  is  meant  by  the  term '  Angel' 
or  '  Angel  of  the  Lord,'  so  frequent- 
ly occuring  in  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures,  in  connection  with  mi- 
raculous appearances  and  revela- 
tions. It  is  plain  that  it  is  no  other 
than  the  Angel- Jehovah,  so  empha- 
tically alluded  to  Ex.  23.  20,  21, 
'  Behold  I  send  an  Angel  before 
thee,  to  keep  thee  in  the  way,  and  to 
bring  thee  into  the  place  which  I 
have  prepared.  Beware  of  him,  and 
obey  his  voice,  provoke  him  not ;  for 
he  will  not  pardon  your  transgres- 
sions ;  for  my  name  is  in  him  ;'  i.e. 
my  nature  is  in  him;  he  possesses 
true  and  essential  divinity.  The  ex- 
alted character,  therefore,  which  he 
claimed  by  the  assumption  of  this 
title  he  proceeded  to  display  still 
more  fully  in  the  incident  that  fol- 
lowed. 

19.  Manoah  took  a  kid — and  offer- 
ed it,  &c.  He  had  by  this  time  be- 
come so  far  satisfied  as  to  the  real 
character  of  his  guest,  that  he  no 
longer  doubled  in  what  manner  to 
express  his  grateful  and  reverential 
feelings  towards  him.  He  deter- 
mines to  do  this  by  offering  the  kid 
as  a  holocaust  accompanied  with  the 
usual  meal  or  flour-ofiering  (erro- 
neously rendered  'meat-offering') 
29 


flame  of  the  altar,  and  Manoah 
and  his  wife  looked  on  it,  and 
qfell  on  their  faces  to  the  ground. 

21  But  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
did  no  more  appear  to  Manoah 
and  to  his  wife.  ''Then  Manoah 
knew  that  he  was  an  angel  of 
the  Lord. 

22  And  Manoah  said  unto  his 

q  Lev.  9.  24.  1  Chr.  21.  16.  Ezek.  1.  £8.  Matt.  17.  6. 
r  cli.  6.  22. 


which  the  law  prescribed.  For  this 
purpose  he  selects  a  rock,  as  did  Gid- 
eon upon  a  like  occasion,  ch.  6.  20. 
21,  instead  of  an  altar.  Large  mas- 
ses of  stone,  of  various  forms,  some 
of  which  are  well  adapted  to  such  a 
use,  frequently  occur  in  the  plains 
and  valleys  of  Judea,  and  other  hilly 
countries.  Some  of  tbese  are  seen  in 
their  natural  position,  rising  out  of 
the  ground,  while  others  appear  as 
detached  fragments,  thrown  down 
from  the  rocky  eminences.  To  such 
insulated  masses  of  rock  there  are 
repeated  references  in  the  Scriptures. 
IT  And  the  angel  did  tcondrously. 
Heb.  i^'i^S^  maphlia;  in  correspon- 
dence with  [he  name  which  he  had 
before  attributed  to  himself.  Being 
ioo?iderful,  he  performed  wonderful 
things;  probably  causing  fire  to  arise 
out  of  the  rock,  and  consume  the 
sacrifice  ;  and  we  are  expressly  told 
that  he  afterwards  ascended  in  the 
flame.  The  word  '  angel'  it  is  true, 
does  not  occur  in  the  original,  but 
from  the  tenor  of  the  narrative  there 
can  be  no  doubt  who  is  intended. 

2L  Then  Manoah  knew  that  he  was 
an  angel  of  the  Lord.  Rather, '  that 
he  was  the  angel;'  the  divine  un- 
created angel ;  the  Angel- Jehovah. 
He  was  now  fully  and  undoubtingly 
assured.  This  put  the  finishing 
stroke  to  the  process  of  conviction 
which  from  the  commencement  of 
the  interview  had  been  going  on  in 
Manoah's  mind. 

22.  We  shall  surely  die,  because  we 
have  seen  God.  Perceiving  that  the 
personage  Avho  had  now  appeared  to 
him  was  no  other  than  God  in  human 


334 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  116L 


wife,  'We  shall  surely  die,  be- 
cause  we  have  seen  God. 

23  But  his  wife  said  unto  him, 
If  the  Lord  were  pleased  to  kill 
us,  he  would  not  have  received 
a  burnt-offering  and  a  meat-of- 
fering at  our  hands,  neither 
would  he   have  showed  us   all 


s  Gen.  32.  30.     Kx.  33. 


Deut  5.  26.     ch.  6.  22. 


shape,  he  conceived,  according  to 
popular  belief,  that  both  he  and  his 
wife  must  die.    This  idea  was  not 
without  some  foundation  ;  for  when 
Moses  had  entreated  the '  Lord   to 
show  him  his  glory,  he  answered, 
*  Thou  canst  not  see  my  face ;  for 
there  shall  no  man  see  me  and  live ;' 
and  for  this  very  reason  God  put 
him  into  a  cleft  of  a  rock,  and  per- 
mitted him  to  see,  as  it  were,  only 
'  his  back  parts,'  a  very  partial  dis- 
play of  his  glory.    So  when  Jacob 
had  been  favored  with  a  visit  from 
the  same  divine  person  in  the  shape 
of  an  angel,  he  expressed  his  aston- 
ishment, that '  his  life  was  preserv- 
ed,' Gen.  3-2.  29,  30.    From  these 
passages  we  may  learn  the  grounds 
of  the  prevailing  impressions  on  the 
subject.     But  while  we  do  not  won- 
der at  the  apprehensions  of  Manoah, 
we  the  more  admire  the  composure 
of  his  wife.     She  argued  in  a  direct- 
ly different  way.     She  considered 
the  mercies  already  vouchsafed  to 
them  as  tokens  for  good;  for  why 
should  God  confer  such    singular 
honor  upon  them,  if  he  intended  to 
kill  theml  Why  did  he  accept  the 
burnt-offering  at  their  hands  1  Why 
stoop  to  impart  to  them  such  infor- 
mation *?  Why  give  them  such  gra- 
cious promises'?  Was  all  this  done 
to  mock  them'?  Indeed,  if  he  should 
kill  them,  how  could  the  promises  be 
fulfilled'?  or  for  what  purpose  were 
they  given'?  The  honor  of  the  divine 
veracity  therefore  required  that  they 
should  be  preserved.     This  was  a 
just  mode  of  arguing ;  for  such  mer- 
cies were  both  evidences  and  pledges 
of  his  love;    and   therefore    were 


these  things^  nor  would  as  at 
this  time  have  told  us  such  things 
as  these. 

24  IT  And  the  woman  bare  a 
son,  and  called  his  name  ^Sam- 
son.  And  "the  child  grew,  and 
the  Lord  blessed  him. 

25  ^And  the    Spirit  of    the 

t  Heb.  11.  32.     u  1  Sam.  3.  19.     Luke  1.  80.  &  2.  52 
X  ch.  3.  10.    1  Sam.  11.  6     Mati.  4.  1. 


rather  to  be  considered  as  earnests 
of  future  blessings,  than  as  harbin- 
gers of  ill.  The  woman  in  this 
show^ed  herself  not  only  the  strong- 
est believer,  but  the  wisest  reasoner. 
The  incidents  related  may  teach  us, 
(1.)  That  in  times  of  dark  and  dis- 
couraging providences  or  sore  temp- 
tations we  should  remember  the  past 
experience  of  God's  goodness  as  a 
ground  of  present  support.  '  Account 
the  long  suffering  of  God  to  be  salva- 
tion.' He  that  hath  so  kindly  helped 
us  and  dealt  with  us  hitherto  means 
not  to  destroy  us  at  last.  (2.)  That 
the  sinner  oppressed  with  a  sense  of 
his  deserts  has  no  reason  to  despair. 
Let  him  remember  what  Christ  has 
done  for  him  by  his  bloody  sacrifice, 
and  read  in  it  a  sure  proof,  that  he 
does  not  design  his  death. 

23.  Nor  would  as  at  this  time,  &c. 
Or,  Heb.  'at  this  time.'  The  ex- 
pression is  perhaps  designed  to  be 
emphatical,  implying  that  God's 
mercy  was  greatly  enhanced  by 
being  afforded  to  them  at  this  partic- 
ular time,  a  time  of  general  calamity, 
when  the  word  of  the  Lord  was  pre- 
cious, and  there  was  no  open  vision. 
1  Sam.  3.  1. 

24.  Called  his  name  Samson.  Heb. 
*]1":j)2ffi  Shimshon.  The  root  is  un- 
doubtedly t3>2a  Shem^sh,  the  sun,  bu' 
what  relation  the  name  was  intended 
to  bear  to  this  object,  we  are  no 
where  informed.  Schmid  conjec- 
tures that  it  was  in  allusion  to  the 
shining  countenance  of  the  angel 
when  he  first  appeared  to  Manoah's 
wife.  Perhaps,  or  a  still  more  proba- 
ble supposition  is,  that  it  was  in  mem- 
ory of  the  resplendent  brightness  in 


A.  C.  1141.] 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


335 


Lord  began  to  move  him  at 
times  in  the  camp  of  Dan,  y be- 
tween Zorah  and  Eshtaol, 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  ND  Samson  went   down  "^to 

-^  Timnath,  and  ^saw   a  wo- 

man  in  Timnath  of  the  daughters 

of  the  Philistines. 

y  Josh.  15.  33.     ch    18.11.        a  Gen.  38.  13.      Josh 
15.  10.         b  Gen.  34.  2. 


•which  his  whole  person  may  for  a 
moment  have  been  arrayed  just  as  he 
departed  from  their  sight.  IT  And 
the  Lord  blessed  him.  Gave  evident 
proofs  that  the  child  was  under  his 
peculiar  protection;  blessed  him  by 
qualifying  him  both  in  body  and 
mind  for  something  great  and  extra- 
ordinary. 

25.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  began 
to  move  him  at  times.  To  stir  him 
«p  to  bold  exploits;  inspiring  him, 
in  view  of  the  degrading  bondage  of 
his  countrymen,  with  an  ardent  zeal 
to  do  something  towards  their  deliv- 
erance. Under  this  supernatural 
impulse  he  was  led  from  time  to  time 
to  put  forth  astonishing  specimens  of 
valor  and  strength,  such  perhaps  as 
his  slaying  the  lion,  ch.  14.  6 ;  achiev- 
ments  which  clearly  evinced  his  de- 
signation of  heaven  for  the  work  to 
which  be  was  called  and  set  apart. 
The  import  of  the  original  (oj/'sb) 
for 'moved' is  peculiar.  As^sj^the 
radical  form  signifies  an  anvil,  the 
metaphor  is  probably  drawn  from  the 
re^e<2/e<^  and  somewhat  violent  s^roZres 
of  the  workman  with  his  hammer. 
It  implies  therefore  a  peculiar  ur- 
gency, an  impelling  influence  on  the 
part  of  the  Spirit,  which  made  its  sub- 
ject invincible, 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

1.  Samson  went  down  t»  Timnath. 
A  frontier  town  of  Dan,  lying  close 
upon  the  borders  of  the  Philistines' 
country.  It  originally  belonged  to 
Judah,  but  was  afterwards  assigned 
to  Dan.  It  was  situated  about  twenty 
jailee  west  of  Jerusalem,  and  about 


2  And  he  came  up,  and  told 
his  father  and  his  mother,  and 
said,  I  have  seen  a  woman  in 
Timnath  of  the  daughters  of  the 
Philistines :  now  therefore  •'get 
her  for  me  to  wife. 

3  Then  his  father  and  his  mo- 
ther said  unto  him,  Is  there  never 
a  woman  among  the  daughters 

c  Gen.  21.  21.  4  34.  4. 


twelve  north-east  of  Eshtaol.  There 
evidently  had  been  some  remissness 
on  the  part  of  Israel  in  driving  out 
the  Philistines  from  this  place,  but 
as  the  latter  had  now  the  upper  hand, 
it  is  not  surprising  that  they  dwelt  in. 
the  cities  of  the  former,  whom  they 
had  probably  put  under  tribute,  and 
although  the  two  races  were  in  an 
attitude  of  hostility  towards  each 
other,  yet  it  seems  not  at  this  time  to 
have  interrupted  all  intercourse  be- 
tween them.  Indeed  the  terms  on. 
which  the  Israelites  lived  and  min-^ 
gled  with  their  devoted  neighbors  the 
Canaanites,  as  is  evident  from  many 
parts  of  their  history,  were  such  as 
we  should  scarcely  have  expected 
from  people  so  related.  But  'the 
holy  seed'  in  all  ages  has  been  too 
prone  to  cultivate  intimacies  and 
form  alliances  with  the  world  of  the 
ungodly. 

2.  Get  her  for  me  to  wife.  That  is, 
take  measures  for  that  purpose;  en- 
deavor to  bring  it  about.  No  part  of 
the  Scripture  has  afforded  more  oc- 
casion for  the  doubts  of  skeptics  or 
the  scoffs  of  infidels  than  the  history 
of  Samson.  His  character  is  indeed 
dark  and  almost  inexplicable.  By 
none  of  the  judges  of  Israel  did  God 
work  so  many  miracles,  and  yet  by 
none  were  so  many  faults  committed. 
He  is  enrolled  by  Paul  in  the  list  of 
ancient  worthies  in  the  eleventh  of 
Hebrews,  which  affords  a  strong  pre- 
sumption, though  not,  we  conceive, 
a  positive  proof,  of  his  being  a  truly 
pious  man.  It  must  be  recollected, 
however,  that  his  history  is  very 
short,  and  that  the  peculiarity  of  the 


336 


JUDGES. 


of'^thy  brethren,  or  among  all 
my  people,  that  thou  goest  to 
take  a  wife  of  the  «uncircumcis- 

d  Gen.  24.  3,  4.      e  Gen.  31.  14.    Ex.  34.  16.     Deut 
7.3. 

dispensation  under  which  he  lived, 
may  account  for  many  things,  which, 
if  done  at  this  lime  and  without  the 
special  appointment  of  Heaven, 
would  be  highly  criminal.  Besides, 
there  may  have  been  in  him  many 
exercises  of  true  piety,  which,  if  re- 
corded, would  have  reflected  a  differ- 
ent light  upon  his  character.  In  the 
present  instance  it  must  be  admitted 
that  his  conduct  in  suffering  his  af- 
fections to  be  ensnared  by  a  Phil- 
istine woman,  had  an  ill  appearance. 
Marriage  connections  with  the  Phil- 
istines who  were  not  of  the  devoted 
nations,  were  not  indeed  prohibited 
to  the  Israelites  by  the  letter  of  the 
law,  though  by  its  spirit  they  un- 
doubtedly were.  The  danger  of 
being  enticed  to  idolatry  was  the  rea- 
son of  the  law  as  it  respected  allian- 
ces with  the  Canaanites,  and  this  rea- 
son we  cannot  but  suppose  was 
equally  applicable  to  conneciions 
with  the  Philistines.  Still  the  law 
was  merely  ceremonial,  and  if  God 
saw  fit  to  dispense  with  it  in  regard 
to  any  of  his  servants,  he  could  do  so 
unimpeached.  That  this  was  the 
case  in  the  present  instance,  there  are 
strong  grounds,  from  the  actual  event 
to  believe.  At  least,we  do  not  feel  at  li- 
berty, from  a  view  of  the  facts  record- 
ed to  pronounce  positively  a  sentence 
of  condemnation  on  this  part  of  Sam- 
son's conduct.  But  whatever  judg- 
ment we  may  form  of  the  measure 
on  the  whole,  his  mode  of  procedure 
was  in  one  respect  highly  deserving 
of  commendation.  He  took  no  step 
towards  forming  the  connexion,  not 
even  so  much  as  paying  his  ad- 
dresses to  her,  without  first  making 
his  parents  acquainted  with  the  mat- 
*€r,  and  obtaining  their  consent.  In 
his  example  we  read  an  admonition 
that  addresses  itself  to  all  children  in 
similar  circumstances.  Next  to  the 
sanction  of  heaven,  the  concurrence 
of  parents  is  requisite  to  render  that 


[A.  C.  1141. 


ed  Philistines  ?  And  Samson 
said  unto  his  father,  Get  her  for 
me  ;  for  she  pleaseth  me  well. 


relation  a  source  of  comfort  and  hap- 
piness to  the  parties  concerned. 
Consulting  them  is  consulting  our 
own  welfare,  as  well  acting  up  to  the 
spirit  of  the  divine  injunction  in  the 
fifth  commandment. 

3.  75  there  never  a  woman.,  &c. 
His  parents,  awareof  the  divine  pro- 
hibitions relatire  to  foreign  alliances, 
and  also  of  the  high  and  solemn  de- 
signation of  their  son,  of  course  re- 
monstrate with  him  and  endeavor  to 
dissuade  him  from  what  they  con- 
ceived so  imprudent  and  unbecom- 
ing a  connexion.  They  inquire 
whether  among  the  daughters  of  his 
'  brethren,'  i.  e.  of  the  tribe  of  Dan, 
he  could  not  find  a  more  suitable  ob- 
ject of  choice.  If  not,  there  was  the 
whole  nation  of  Israel — '  all  my  peo- 
ple'— that  afforded  him  a  field  of  se- 
lection. Why  then  should  he  have 
occasion  to  goto  the  daughters  of  a 
heathen  race  1  '  I  wish,'  says  an  old 
divine,  '  that  Manoah  and  his  wife 
could  speak  so  loud  that  all  our  Is- 
rael should  hear  them.'  By  nothing 
is  the  heart  of  a  pious  parent  naore 
grieved  than  by  the  prospect  of  the 
unequal  yoking  of  their  children 
with  profane  or  irreligious  partners  j 
for  he  knows  that  nothing  is  so 
likely  to  prove  injurious  to  their  spi- 
ritual interests,  and  subject  them  to 
heart-rending  trials.  IT  For  she 
pleaseth  me  itell.  Heb.  ITTiZji  s^"ifi 
iiijJlQ  she  is  right  in  mine  eyes.  Tak- 
ing these  words  in  connection  with 
what  is  said  in  the  next  verse,  we 
very  much  doubt  whether  our  pre- 
sent translation  does  full  justice  to 
Samson's  motives.  According  to 
this,  he  urges  no  stronger  reason  for 
the  step  proposed  than  that  the  wo- 
man pleased  his  fancy,  and  for  aught 
that  appears  from  the  rendering  it 
was  on  this  ground  alone  that  his  pa- 
rents acceded  to  his  request.  But  if 
they  conceived  the  measure  to  be  di- 
rectly contrary  to  the  precepts  of  the 


A.  C.  1161.] 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


337 


4  But  his  father  and  his  mo- 
ther knew  not  that  it  was  ^of  the 

fJosh.  11.  20.     I  Kin.  12.  IS.    2  Kin.  6.  33.     2  Chr. 
10.  15.   &  2-i.  7.    &  25  20- 

law,  how  could  they,  as  true  believ- 
ers and  obedient  servants  of  God, 
yield  their  consent  and  co-operation, 
merely  to  gratify  the  headstrong  pas- 
sion of  their  son,  unless  they  had 
some  intimation  that  God  himself 
had  authorized  in  this  instance  a  de- 
parture from  his  established  ordi- 
nance 1  Should  we  look  for  such  a 
concession  to  human  infirmity  from 
the  pious  pair  who  had  so  devoutly 
entertained  a  messenger  from  hea- 
ven, and  listened  to  his  commands'? 
The  fact  is,  if  we  mistake  not,  Sam- 
son does  not  intend  mainly  to  say  in 
these  words,  '  she  is  well-pleasing  in 
my  sight,'  for  the  original  word  is 
not  an  adjective,  having  the  sense  of 
beautiful,  engaging,  attractive,  but 
a  verb  conveying  indeed  the  idea 
of  rig?d,  but  of  right  relative  to  an 
end,  purpose,  or  object ;  in  other 
words,  oi fitness  or  adaptation.  See 
Gussetius  on  the  root  "iT"")  ^^^  com-  | 
pare  the  use  of  it  2  Sam.  17.  4. 
1  Kings.  9.  12.  2  Chron.  30.  Num. 
23.  27.  This  then  we  conceive  af- 
fords the  true  clue  to  Samson's 
meaning  ;  '  She  is  right  in  my  eyes ;' 
i.  e.  adapted  to  the  end  which  I  have 
in  view;  she  may  be  used,  she  is 
available  for  a  purpose  entirely  ulte- 
rior to  the  immediate  connexion 
which  I  propose.  That  Samson, 
however,  entertained  a  genuine  af- 
fection for  the  woman,  and  was  not 
influenced  solely  by  views  of  policy 
in  the  transaction,  we  see  no  reason 
to  doubt.  But  that  he  intended  at  the 
same  time  to  make  this  alliance  sub- 
servient to  to  the  great  purpose  of 
delivering  his  country  from  oppres- 
sion, there  are  very  strong  grounds 
for  believing. 

4.  But  his  father  and  his  mother 
Jcneio  not,  &c.  These  words  appear 
to  be  inserted  parenthetically  for  the 
purpose  of  intimating  the  reason  to 
which  it  was  owing,  that  Samson's 
parents  declined  giving  their  consent 
to  the  proposed  marriage.  They  did 
29* 


Lord,  that  he  sought  an  occasion 
a(?ainst  the   Philistines :    for   at 


not  know  God's  puropses  in  respect 
to  it.  Had  they  known  them,  the  im- 
plication is  thai  their  decison  would 
have  been  different ;  and  as  we  leara 
from  the  next  verse  that  their  objec- 
tions were  overruled,  and  that  they 
went  with  their  son  to  Timnath  in 
reference  to  the  object  of  his  suit,  the 
inference  is  fair,  that  in  some  way 
they  did  become  acquainted  with  the 
divine  counsels.  Their  going  is  to  be 
considered,  we  think,  rather  in  the 
light  of  an  acquiescence  in  the  will 
of  heaven,  than  of  a  yielding  to  the 
mere  importunities  of  their  son.  In 
what  particular  manner  they  became 
enlightened  in  respect  to  tbe"^  ultimate 
bearings  of  the  measure,  we  are  not 
informed,  and  must  of  course  be  left 
to  mere  conjecture.  To  us  it  ap- 
pears most  probable  that  Samson 
frankly  laid  open  to  them  all  his 
mind,  and  that  in  these  disclosures 
they  saw  satisfactory  evidence  that 
he  was  moved  by  the  Spirit  of  God 
in  this  transaction  in  a  way  that  they 
did  not  dare  to  resist.  IF  That  he 
sought  an  occasion  against  the  Phil- 
istines. That  is,  an  occasion  of 
avenging  the  wrongs  inflicted  by  the 
Philistines  on  the  Israelites.  It  is 
worthy  of  note  that  the  Hebrew,  in- 
stead of '  against  the  Philistines,'  has 
'  of  or  from  the  Philistines  ;'  clearly 
implying  that  the  occasion  sought 
should  be  one  that  originated  on  the 
side  of  the  Philistines.  The  sense 
exhibited  by  our  common  rendering 
is  not  indeed  essentially  different 
from  this,  but  we  prefer  to  express 
the  exact  shade  of  the  original  where- 
ever  it  can  be  done.  As  far  as  the 
grammatical  construction  is  concern- 
ed, there  is  nothing  to  prevent  this 
being  understood  of  the  Lord  him- 
self as  the  proper  subject  of  the  verb. 
But  it  seems  on  the  whole  more  na- 
tural and  plausible  to  understand  it 
of  Samson — that  he  .sought  occasion 
against  the  Philistines — though  at 
the  same  time  M'ith  the  connivance 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1161. 


that  time  &the  Philistines  had  do- 
minion over  Israel. 

g  ch.  13.  1.  Deul.  28.  48. 

and  under  the  prompting  of  the  Most 
High,  who  saw  fit  in  this  indirect 
tvay  to  bring  about  the  accomplish- 
ment of  his  designs  of  retribution  to- 
wards his  enemies.  If  it  be  asked 
why  infinite  wisdom  chose  to  adopt 
this  peculiar  method  of  compassing 
the  object,  although  our  inability  to 
answer  the  question  would  not  at  all 
afl?ect  the  claims  of  the  sacred  narra- 
tive, yet  it  may  be  suggested,  that  the 
reason  is  perhaps  to  be  drawn  from 
the  special  design  of  God  in  raising 
.up  Samson  as  a  deliverer.  His 
leading  purpose  in  this  seems  to  have 
been  to  baffle  the  poioer  of  the  whole 
Fhilistine  nation  by  the  prowess  of  a 
single  individual.'  The  champion 
of  Israel  therefore  was  not  appointed 
so  much  to  be  the  leader  of  an  army 
like  the  other  judges,  as  to  be  an  army 
in  himself.  In  order  then  that  the 
contest  might  be  carried  on  in  this 
way,  it  was  necessary  that  the  entire 
opposition  of  the  Philistines  should 
be  concentrated,  as  far  as  possible, 
against  the  person  of  Samson.  This 
would  array  the  contending  parties 
precisely  in  such  an  attitude  as  to 
illustrate  most  signally  the  power  of 
God  in  the  overthrow  of  his  enemies. 
But  how  could  this  result  be  brought 
about  except  by  means  of  some  pri- 
vate quarrel  between  Samson  and  the 
enemy  with  which  he  was  to  contend  1 
and  who  can  say  that  the  scheme 
now  projected  was  not  the  very  best 
that  couid  have  been  devised  for  ac- 
complishing the  end  which  God  had 
in  viewl  To  what  extent  Samson 
foresaw  all  the  events  that  were  to 
grow  out  of  this  tran.saction,  or  how 
far  he  had  a  plan  distinctly  laid  cor- 
responding with  the  results  that  ac- 
tually ensued,  it  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine. The  probability,  we  think,  is, 
that  he  had  rather  a  general  strong 
impression,  wrought  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  than  a  definite  conception,  of  the 
train  of  events  that  were  to  transpire. 
It  was  however  a  conviction  as  to 


5  IF  Then  went  Samson  down, 
and  his  father,  and  his  mother, 


the  issue  sufficiently  powerful  to 
warrant  both  him  and  his  parents  in 
going  forward  with  the  measure. 
They  were  in  some  way  assured  that 
they  were  engaged  in  a  proceeding 
which  God  would  overrule  to  the  fur- 
therance of  his  designs  of  mercy  to 
his  people  and  of  judgment  to  their 
oppressors.  God  foresaw,  though 
they  did  not,  how  basely  and  perfid- 
iously his  wife's  friends  and  rela- 
tions would  act  towards  Samson,  and 
what  just  grounds  of  war  would  on. 
this  account  arise.  In  all  this,  how- 
ever, they  would  act  freely  and  with- 
out compulsion,  so  that  there  would 
be  no  injustice  in  their  punishment ; 
and  what  should  prevent  the  right- 
eous Lord  God  from  availing  him- 
self of  his  omniscience  in  working 
out  to  his  enemies  the  due  recom- 
pense of  their  deeds  1  ^  For  at  that 
time  the  Philistines  had  dominion  over 
Israel.  Added  in  order  to  intimate  the 
general  moving  cause  which  prompt- 
ed Samson  to  exert  himself  in  be- 
half of  his  people.  They  were  suf- 
fering under  the  despotic  and  tyran- 
nical sway  of  their  oppressors.  It  was 
in  this  fact  that  a  justification  was 
to  be  sought  for  the  commencement 
of  hostilities.  Schmid,  however,  ex- 
presses the  belief  that  a  still  deeper 
sense  is  couched  under  these  words, 
viz.  that  they  are  intended  to  as- 
sign a  reason  why  Samson  should 
have  felt  it  necessary  to  seek  any  oc- 
casion at  all  for  entering  upon  war- 
like operations.  His  curious  conceit 
on  the  subject  is  as  follows ; — The 
Philistines,  although  they  were  now 
cruelly  oppressing  the  Israelites,  yet 
by  the  acknowledged  rights  of  war, 
they  had  justly  acquired  this  domin- 
ion over  them,  and  such  is  God's  ab- 
horrence of  all  rebellions  and  insur- 
rections against  existing  powers,  that 
they  were  not  at  liberty,  on  the  sim- 
ple plea  or  pretence  of"  tyranny,  to 
endeavor  to  shake  off'  the  yoke. 
Consequently  some  just  occasion  was 


A.  C.  1161.] 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


339 


to  Timnath,  and  came  to  the  vine- 
yards of  Timnath  :  and  beTiold,a 
young  lion  roared  against  him. 


to  be  sought  as  a  warrant  for  the  at- 
tempt, and  unless  such  a  plausible 
pretext  should  arise  our  commenta- 
tor would  have  us  understand  that 
the  hdiTe  fact  of  the  Philistines'  hav- 
ing the  ascendency  over  Israel  was 
a  sufficient  reason  for  their  abstain- 
ing from  all  efforts  to  regain  their 
liberties.  This  he  supposes  to  be  the 
genuine  drift  of  the  illative  '  for'  in 
the  clause  before  us.  Samson  sought 
an  occasion  against  the  Philistines, 
for  (because)  at  that  time  the  Philis- 
tines had  dominion  over  Israel,'  and 
therefore  it  would  be  unlawful  to  rise 
against  them  loithout  such  an  occa- 
sion !  In  connection  with  this  expo- 
sition he  quotes  with  applause  the 
remarks  of  Brent,  commending  the 
singular  prudence  andmoderation  of 
Samson,  that  although  he  had  ample 
grounds  in  the  divine  commission 
implied  in  the  very  fact  of  his  being 
raised  up  and  set  apart  as  a  national 
deliverer,  yet  to  avoid  offence,  he 
will  not  undertake  the  work  till  a 
just  and  legitimate  cause  of  war  oc- 
curs. All  this  reasoning,  savoring 
as  it  does  so  strongly  of  the  doctrine 
ofpassive  obedience,  we  leave  it  to  the 
reader  to  estimate  according  to  its 
worth;  but  we  believe  a  much  more 
correct  view  of  the  reason  of  Sam- 
son's 'seeking  an  occasion  against 
the  Philistines  is  given  in  a  prece- 
ding note.  If  a  general  movemeni 
had  been  made  by  the  Israelites  for 
the  assertion  of  their  liberties,  an 
e(\Mdi\\Y  ge7ieral  attempt  to  crush  it 
would  of  course  have  been  made  on 
the  other  side.  But  God  designed 
that  Samson  personally  should  be  the 
butt  of  the  enemies'  wrath  and  machi- 
nations, that  he  might  display  his 
own  glory  in  conquering  them  by  the 
might  of  a  single  arm, 

5.  Then  ivent  Samson  doiun,  and 
his  father  and  his  mother.  Having 
changed  their  minds;  having  yielded 
to  the  evidence  that  he  was  under  a 


6  And  Hhe  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
came  mightily  upon  him,  and  he 
rent  him  as  he  would  have  rent 


h  ch.  3.  10.  &  13. 


divine  prompting  in  the  measure 
proposed.  IT  Behold  a  young  lion 
roared  against  him.  Heb. '  behold,  a 
young  lion  of  the  lionesses  roaring'in 
his  meeting.'  From  v.  6  it  is  obvi- 
ous that  his  parents  were  not  with 
him  when  this  remarkable  incident 
occurred.  '  He  was  all  alone  in  the 
vineyards,  whither  he  had  rambled 
from  his  father  and  mother  (who 
kept  the  high  road)  probably  to  eat 
grapes.  Children  consider  not  that 
they  expose  themselves  to  the  roaring 
lion  that  seeks  to  devour,  when,  out 
of  a  foolish  fondness  for  liberty,  they 
wander  from  under  the  eye  of  their 
prudent,  pious  parents.  Nor  do 
young  people  consider  what  lions 
lurk  in  the  vineyards,  the  vineyards 
of  red  wine,  as  dangerous  as  snakes 
under  the  green  grass.' — Henry.  It 
is  to  be  observed  that  'young  lion' 
does  not  here  mean  a 'whelp,  for 
which  the  Hebrews  has  quite  a  dif- 
ferent word,  but  a  young  lion  arrived 
at  its  full  strength  and  size,  when  it 
is  far  more  fierce  than  at  a  later  pe- 
riod. It  is  evident  from  this  and 
other  passages  of  Scripture,  that 
lions  formerly  existed  in  Judea. 
We  do  not  know  that  they  are  now 
to  be  met  with  in  that  country;  but 
this  is  not  surprising,  as  numerous 
instances  might  be  cited  of  the  dis- 
appearance of  wild  animals,  in  the 
course  of  time,  from  countries  where 
they  were  once  well  known. 

6.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came 
mightily  upon  him.  Well  rendered 
from  the  original,  which  is  in  nu- 
merous instances  employed  to  sig- 
nify a  supernatural  influence  raising 
the  bodily  or  mental  powers  to  an 
unwonted  pitch  of  energy,  clothing 
one  with  courage,  fortitude,  skill, 
wisdom,  and  strength,  and  enabling 
him  to  perform  achievments  to 
which  his  unassisted  powers  would 
be  entirely  unequal.  The  expression 
seems  to  denote  an  occasional  illapse 


340 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1141. 


a  kid,  and  he  had  nothing  in  his 
hand  :  but  he  told  not  his  father 
or  his  mother  what  he  had  done. 
7  And  he  went  down,  and 
talked  with  the  woman  ;  and  she 
pleased  Samson  well. 

of  this  kind  of  influence,  and  it  may- 
be doubted  whether  even  Samson 
was  able  ordinarily  to  display  these 
prodigies  of  valor  and  prowess  which 
he  from  lime  to  time  put  forth, 
though  perhaps  habitually  a  stronger 
man  than  others.  U  Told  not  his 
father  or  his  mother.  An  instance  of 
singular  discretion,  modesty,  and 
self-control,  view  it  in  whatever 
light  we  may.  How  few  people  are 
there  in  the  world,  who,  if  they  had 
performed  such  an  exploit  as  this, 
would  have  suffered  it  to  remain  hid 
from  their  dearest  friends.  But  the 
presumption  is,  that  before  this  Sam- 
son himself  was  not  fully  aware  of 
the  extent  to  which  '  the  power  of 
the  Highest  rested  on  him,'  and  with- 
out a  distinct  foresight  of  the  events 
that  followed,  he  may  still  have  con- 
cluded that  to  divulge  the  possession 
of  such  astonishing  strength  would 
be  likely  to  defeat  the  ends  to  which 
it  might  be  applied.  He  would  not 
therefore  betray  so  important  a  se- 
cret,— not  even  to  his  own  parents, 
lest  a  premature  disclosure,  by  put- 
ting his  enemies  on  their  guard, 
should  render  the  endowment  com- 
paratively useless. 

7.  And  talked  with  the  woman. 
Rather  accordmg  to  the  Heb.  "laTii 
JlTTitb  '  talked  concerning  the  woman.' 
Marriages  in  the  East  from  the  earli- 
est periods  have  always  been  arran- 
ged by  parents  in  behalf  of  their 
children.  It  was  doubtless  so  in  the 
present  case.  Indeed  for  what  other 
purpose  did  his  parents  go  down'? 
According  to  the  letter,  indeed,  the 
talking  is  referred  to  Samson,  and 
he  undoubtedly  had  a  voice  in  it,  but 
not,  we  imagine,  to  the  exclusion  of 
his  father  and  mother.  The  whole 
three  negotiated  the  matter  with  the 
parents  of  the  young  woman. 


8  H  And  after  a  time  he  re- 
turned to  take  her,  and  he  turn- 
ed aside  to  see  the  carcass  of  the 
lion  :  and  behold,  there  was  a 
swarm  of  bees  and  honey  in  the 
carcass  of  the  lion. 


8.  After  a  time  he  returned  to  take 
her.  An  interval  of  some  time,  usu- 
ally ten  01  twelve  months,  elapsed 
between  the  ceremony  of  espousals 
and  the  marriage.  During  this  time 
the  betrothed  bride  remained  with 
her  parents,  that  she  might  provide 
herself  with  nuptial  ornaments  suit- 
able to  her  station ;  after  which  the 
bride-groom  came  to  fetch  her  home 
and  take  her  fully  as  his  w  ife.  The 
Jews  still  keep  up  this  custom ;  the 
parties  being  betrothed  at  least  six  or 
twelve  months  before  marriage. 
During  this  interval,  oriental  usage 
appears  to  have  allowed  to  the  par- 
ties but  slight  communication  with 
each  other.  Yet  what  little  inter- 
course they  had  at  all  previous  to 
marriage  seems  to  have  been  restrict- 
ed to  this  term.  For  '  in  point  of 
fact  we  apprehend,'  says  the  editor 
of  the  Pictorial  Bible,  'that  the  be- 
trothed was  considered  necessary  to 
enable  a  young  man  to  pay  to  a  wo- 
man even  that  limited  degree  of  par- 
ticular attention  which  eastern  man- 
ners allowed.'  This  suggestion  still 
further  confirms  the  idea  advanced 
above  respecting  the  '  talking'  there 
alluded  to.  It  is  quite  improbable 
that  it  should  have  taken  place  be- 
tween Samson  and  the  young  woman 
herself.  The  kind  of  intimacy  ex- 
pressed by  the  word  '  courtship/  and 
so  familiar  to  European  manners, 
appears  to  have  been  from  remote 
antiquity  entirely  unknown  in  the 
East.  ^  Turned  aside  to  see  the 
carcass  of  the  lion.  Heb.  *  the  ruins, 
the  fallen  heap.'  '"Whilst  Samson 
concealed  the  event  from  others,  he 
pondered  it  in  himself;  and  when  he 
returned  to  Timnath,  went  out  of  the 
way  to  see  his  dead  adversary,  and 
could  not  but  recall  to  himself  his 
danger  and  deliverance;  'Here  the 


A.  C.  1141.] 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


341 


9  And  he  took  thereof  in  his 
hands,  and  went  on  eating,  and 
came  to  his  father  and  mother, 
and  he  gave  them,  and  they 
did  eat :  but  he  told  not  them 
that    he    had  taken    the   honey 

beast  met  me;  thus  he  fought;  thus 
I  slew  him!'  The  very  dead  lion 
taught  Samson  thankfulness.  The 
mercies  of  God  are  ill  bestowed  upon 
us,  if  we  cannot  step  aside  to  view 
the  monuments  of  his  deliverances. 
As  Samson  had  not  found  his  honey- 
comb, if  he  had  not  turned  aside  to 
see  his  lion,  so  we  shall  lose  the 
comfort  of  God's  benefits,  if  we  do 
not  renew  our  perils  by  meditation.' 
Bp.  Hall.  IT  A  swarvi  of  bees  and 
honey  in  the  carcass.  In  one  respect 
the  preceding  note  is  strikingly  con- 
firmed by  the  present  text.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  several  months  must  have 
elapsed  between  the  first  and  second 
visit  to  Timnarh,  in  order  to  allow 
time  for  the  carcass  of  the  lion  to  be- 
come reduced  to  a  dry  naked  skele- 
ton. The  cleanly  habits  of  bees,  and 
their  repugnance  to  impure  smells 
would  not  otherwise  have  permitted 
them  to  select  it  as  a  habitation. 
The  beautiful  episode  in  the  fourth 
Georgic  of  Virgil  proves  that  the  an- 
cients believed  that  bees  might  be  en- 
gendered in  the  dead  body  of  an  ox. 
9.  And  he  took  thereof  in  Ms  hands. 
Heb.  *\-^^^'^  from  nTl  to  subdue,  a 
very  peculiar  term  to  be  applied  to 
the  act  of  taking'  a  quantity  of  honey 
from  its  place  of  deposit,  be  that  what 
it  might.  The  most  common  He- 
brew word  for  '  take'  is  npb,  and  if 
nothing  more  is  meant  in  the  present 
case  than  the  simple  act  so  denomi- 
nated, why  is  not  the  usual  term  em- 
ployed 1  We  adopt  the  suggestion  of 
Schmid  in  reply,  that  a  word  was 
purposely  chosen  which  should  im- 
ply some  resistance  and  difficulty  in 
getting  possession  of  the  prize;  that 
it  was  not  without  an  encounter,  and 
a  species  of  subjugation,  that  he  suc- 
ceeded in  wresting  the  honey  from 
the  bees;  such  at  any  rate  is  the  im- 


out  of  the  carcass  of  the   lion. 

10  IT  So  his  father  went  down 
unto  the  woman  :  and  Samson 
made  there  a  feast ;  for  so  used 
the  young  men  to  do. 

11  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 


port  of  the  word,  whatever  be  the 
reason  of  its  use. 

10.  His  father  went  down  unto  the 
woman.  Rendered  by  the  Chal. 
'  went  down  relative  to  the  aflfair  of 
the  woman;'  a  sense  of  the  words 
decidedly  approved  by  the  Jewish 
critic  David  Kimchi.  From  the 
connexion  it  appears  moreover  quite 
evident  that  Samson's  father  here  is 
not  to  be  understood  exclusive  of 
Samson  himself  The  probability 
is,  that  both  his  father  and  mother 
and  a  company  of  friends  attended 
him  on  the  occasion,  but  the  father 
alone,  as  the  natural  head  of  the 
party,  is  mentioned.  Compare  with 
this  the  note  on  v.  7.  H  And  Sam^ 
son  made  there  a  feast.  A  wedding 
feast,  such  as  is  customary  all  over 
the  East,  as  w^ell  as  in  most  other 
countries,  during  which  every  spe- 
cies of  merriment  prevails.  This 
nuptial  festivity  used  to  continue 
seven  days,  as  we  see  from  v.  12 
compared  with  Gen.  29.  27.  After 
this  the  bride  was  brought  home  by, 
or  to  her  husband.  We  must  under- 
stand probably,  in  conformity  with 
existing  usages  in  the  East,  that 
Samson  made  his  feast  at  the  house 
of  some  acquaintance,  or  in  one  hired 
for  the  occasion,  as  his  own  house 
was  distant ;  while  at  the  same  time 
the  woman  entertained  her  female 
friends  and  relatives  at  her  father's 
house.  The  different  sexes  never 
feasted  together  on  these  or  any  other 
occasions,  and  the  bride  and  bride- 
groom did  not  even  give  their  respec- 
tive entertainments  in  the  same 
house,  unless  under  very  peculiar 
circumstances.  In  reading  this  nar- 
rative we  must  not  forget  that  Sam- 
son was  a  mere  sojourner  at  Tim- 
nath.  IT  So  used  the  young  men  to 
do.    '  I  do  not  hear  Samson  plead  his 


342 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1141. 


they  saw  him,  that  they  brought 
thirty  companions  to  be  with  him. 
12  IF  And  Samson  said  unto 
them,  I  will  now  'put  forth  a 
riddle  unto  you  :  if  ye  can  cer- 
tainly declare  it  me  ''within  the 
seven  days  of  the  feast,  and  find 
it  out,  then  I  will  give  you  thirty 

i  1  Kings  10.  1.    Ei.  17.  2.     Luke  14.  7.  k  Gen. 

29.27. 

Tiazarit  ism  for  a  color  of  singularity ; 
it  is  both  lawful  and  fit,  in  things  not 
prohibited,  to  conform  ourselves  to 
the  manners  and  rites  of  tho.se  with 
whom  we  live.'  God  never  misliked 
moderate  solemnities  (festivities)  in 
the  severest  life.'    Bp.  Hall. 

11.  It  came  to  pass  when  they  saw 
him.  That  is,  when  they  (the  citi- 
zens) observed  or  considered  him, 
"when  they  noted  his  stature,  form, 
countenance  and  bearing.  IT  They 
brought  thirty  companions  to  be  with 
him.  A  class  of  persons  called  else- 
where in  the  Scriptures  '  friends  of 
the  bridegroom'  or  '  children  of  the 
bride-chamber,'  Mat.  9.  15,  John.  3. 
29.  Although  these  companions 
were  brought  to  him  with  a  show  of 
paying  him  respect  and  honor  in  con- 
formity to  custom,  yet  it  was  un- 
doubtedly with  the  secret  purpose  of 
stationing  spies  about  his  person. 
A  remarkable  something  in  his  ex- 
ternal appearance  told  them  that  he 
was  a  man  to  be  watched  ;  and  jeal- 
ous as  they  now  were  of  him,  they 
would  have  been  still  more  so,  had 
they  known  of  his  exploit  in  killing 
the  lion,  which  he  had  industriously 
kept  from  them.  '  The  favors  of 
Philistines  have  often  some  mischief 
or  other  designed  in  them.'    Henry. 

12.  /  will  now  put  forth  a  riddle 
unto  you.  It  was  a  very  ancient  cus- 
tom among  different  nations  to  re- 
lieve their  entertainments  by  propo- 
sing diflicult  and  obscure  questions, 
to  the  solution  of  which  a  reward 
was  usually  annexed,  while  a  pro- 
portionate forfeiture  was  the  conse- 
quence of  a  failure.  They  were 
particularly    common    among    the 


sheets    and    thirty    ^change    of 
garments  : 

13  But  if  ye  cannot  declare 
it  me,  then  shall  ye  give  me 
thirty  sheets  and  thirty  change 
of  garments.  And  they  said 
unto  him,  Put  forth  thy  riddle, 
that  we  may  hear  it. 

1  Gen.  45.  22.        2  Kiogs  S.  22. 


Greeks,  who  were  accustomed  to  call 
riddles  contrived  to  puzzle  and  per- 
plex by,  the  name  of  'banquet-rid- 
dles,' or  'cup-questions.'  Devices 
of  this  sort  were  especially  necessary 
for  amusement  and  pastime  in  a  fes- 
tival of  seven  days'  continuance  like 
the  present.  IT  Thirty  sheets  and 
thirty  change  of  garments.  The 
original  word  Gi;'ino  sediniin,  from 
which  comes  the  Greek  'LipSojv,  Sin- 
don,  fine  linen,  probably  denotes  a 
kind  of  body  linen,  more  like  our 
shirts  than  sheets.  '  It  cannot  easily 
be  imagined  they  were  what  we  call 
sheets,  for  Samson  might  have  slain 
thirty  Philistines  near  Askelon,  and 
not  have  found  one  sheet;  or  if  he 
slew  them  who  were  carrying  their 
beds  with  them  on  their  travels,  as 
they  often  do  in  present  times,  the 
slaughter  of  fifteen  had  been  suffi- 
cient, for  in  the  East,  as  in  other 
countries,  every  bed  is  provided  with 
two  sheets ;  but  he  slew  just  thirty,  in 
order  to  obtain  thirty  sedinim,  or 
shirts.  If  this  meaning  of  the  term 
be  admitted,  the  deed  of  Samson 
must  have  been  very  provoking  to 
the  Philistines;  for  since  only  peo- 
ple of  more  easy  circumstances  wore 
shirts,  they  were  not  thirty  of  the 
common  people  that  he  slew,  but 
thirty  persons  of  figure  and  conse- 
quence. The  same  word  is  used  by 
the  prophet  Isaiah,  in  his  description 
of  the  splendid  and  costly  dress  in 
which  people  of  rank  and  fashion 
then  delighted,  rendered  in  our  trans- 
lation fine  linen ;  which  seems  to 
place  it  beyond  a  doubt  that  they 
were  persons  of  rank  that  fell  by 
the  hand  of  Samson  on  that  occa'» 


A.  C.  1141.] 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


343 


14  And  he  said  unto  them, 
Out  of  the  eater  canie  forth 
meat,  and  outof  the  strong  came 
forth  sweetness.  And  they  could 
not  in  three  days  expound  the 
riddle. 

15  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the 
seventh  day,  that  they  said  un- 
to Samson's  wife,  '"Entice  thy 


sion.'  Paxlon.  Bythe' thirty  change 
of  garments'  is  probably  to  be  under- 
stood the  upper  vestments  or  tunics 
common  in  the  East  usually  called 
caftans^  and  answering  nearly  to  our 
cloaks.  The  idea  of  the  passage 
.«;eems  to  be,  that  Samson  offered 
thirty  dresses,  which  there  is  reason 
to  suppose  consisted  only  of  a  shirt 
and  upper  garment. 

14.  Out  of  the  eater  came  forth 
meat,  &c.  "Or,  Heb.  '  came  "forth 
food.'  The  antithesis  in  the  first 
clause  is  sufficiently  obvious,  viz. 
that  an  all-devouring  creature,  con- 
trary to  what  might  naturally  be  ex- 
pected, should  afford  food  to  others. 
But  ^n  the  second,  it  is  less  plain  ; 
for  the  opposite  of  stre^igth  is  not 
sweetness,  but  weakness.  If  it  had 
been,  '  Out  of  the  sharp  or  bitter 
came  forth  sioeetness,''  the  opposition 
would  have  been  perfect.  Bochart, 
however,  has  very  plausibly  shown 
that  the  original  for  bitter  is  occa- 
sionally used  for  strong,  and  sharp 
for  both.  So  in  the  Arabic,  Mirra, 
strength,  and  Marir,  strong,  robust, 
come  from  the  root  Marra,  which 
signifies  to  be  bitter.  Thus  too  in  the 
Latin,  Acer,  sharp,  applied  to  a  man 
denotes  one  who  is  valiant,  who 
eagerly  engages  his  enemy;  and 
•what  is  worthy  of  notice,  this  very 
term  is  employed  by  Ovid  as  an  epi- 
thet for  lions  ; — '  Genus  acre  leo- 
num,'  the  sharp  or  fierce  kind  of 
lions.'  The  true  antithesis  of  the 
riddle,  therefore,  may  be  stated  thus : 
— '  Food  came  from  the  devourer, 
and  sweetness  from  that  which  is 
sharp^  i.  e.  eager,  fierce,  violent. 
The  Syr.  and  Arab,  both  render  th« 


husband,  that  he  may  declare 
unto  us  the  riddle,  "le.st  we  burn 
thee  and  thy  father's  house  with 
fire  :  have  ye  called  us  to  take 
what  we  have  ?  is  it  not  so  ? 

16  And  Samson's  wife  wept 
before  him  and  said,  °Thou  doest 
but  hate  me,  and  lovest  me  not : 
thou  hast  put  forth  a  riddle  unto 


original  by  bitter  instead  of  strong, 
and  some  copies  of  the  Gr.  Sept.  in- 
stead of  niTo  la-^vpov  from  the  strong, 
exhibit  the  reading  ano  -rriKpovfrom  the 
bitter.  Josephus  gives  the  enigma 
in  this  form,.'  A  great  devourer  pro- 
duced sweet  food  out  of  itself,  though 
itself  was  very  disagreeable.'  Pro- 
bably to  a  Hebrew  ear,  when  the  rid- 
dle was  found  out,  the  terms  would 
be  as  expressive  and  suitable  as  any 
that  could  have  been  chosen.  This 
enigma,  though  soluble,  was  one 
well  calculated  to  task  their  ingenu- 
ity to  the  utmost,  notwithstanding 
Henry's  remark,  that  '  if  they  had 
but  so  much  sense  as  to  consider 
what  eater  is  most  strong,  and  what 
meat  is  most  sweet,  they  would  have 
found  i'out  the  riddle:  and  neither 
lions  nor  honey  were  such  strangers 
to  their  country,  that  the  thoughts  of 
them  needed  to  be  out  of  their  way.' 
But  the  point  was,  not  to  conceive  of 
these  objects  separately,  but  in  a  pe- 
culiar relation  to  each  other,  and  the 
difficulty  of  this  arose  from  the  fact 
that  they  would  naturally  conceive 
of  the  eater  as  still  alive.  It  was, 
however,  well  adapted  to  the  purpose 
for  which  Providence  designed  it 
should  be  overruled. 

15.  On  the  seventh  day.  That  is, 
of  the  week,  being  the  fourth  of  the 
feast,  as  appears  from  comparing 
V.  14  and  17.  IT  Have  ye  called  us 
to  take  that  we  have  7  Have  ye  in- 
vited us  to  the  feast  for  the  purpose 
of  impoverishing  us  by  taking  away 
what  we  have '? 

16.  Wept  before  him.  Heb.  'wept 
upon  him.'  The  sequel  showed, 
however,  that  they  were  crocodile 


344 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1141. 


the  children  of  my  people,  and 
hast  not  told  it  me.  And  he 
said  unto  her,  Behold,  I  have  not 
told  it  my  father  nor  my  mother, 
and  shall  I  tell  it  thee ? 

17  And  she  wept  before  hhn 
the  seven  days,  while  their  feast 
lasted ;  and  it  came  to  pass  on 
the  seventh  day,  that  he  told 
her,  because  she  lay  sore  upon 
him :  and  she  told  the  riddle  to 
the  children  of  her  people. 


tears  which  she  shed  on  this  occa- 
sion. H  I  have  not  told  it  to  my  fa- 
ther, nor  my  mother.  Though  I  have 
had  more  experience  of  their  fidelity, 
and  more  reason  to  trust  their  taci- 
turnity than  in  thine.  '  In  all  parts 
of  the  world,  I  believe,  people  are 
pretty  much  alike,  as  to  their  capa- 
bility of  keeping  secrets.  The  Hin- 
doos, however,  improperly  retlect 
upon  the  female  sex  in  their  proverb, 
'  To  a  loonian  tell  not  a  secret.'  That 
secret  must  be  great  indeed  which 
will  prevent  a  son  or  daughter  from 
telling  it  to  the  father  or  mother. 
The  greatest  proof  of  confidence  is 
to  say,  '  I  have  told  you  what  I  have 
not  revealed  to  my  father.'  In  proof 
of  the  great  affection  one  has  for  an- 
other, it  is  said,  '  He  has  told  things 
to  him  that  he  would  not  have  relat- 
ed to  his  parents.'  '  My  friend,  do 
tell  me  the  secret.' — '  Tell  you  1  yes, 
when  I  have  told  my  parents.'  Ro- 
berts. ^  The  seven  days.  That  is, 
the  rest  of  the  seven  days.  IT  Lay 
sore  upon  him.  Rather,  Heb. '  strong- 
ly urged,  solicited,  or  pressed  him.' 
U  She  told  the  riddle.  The  meaning 
of  the  riddle.  When  we  trust  a 
secret  out  of  our  own  breast,  we 
must  not  expect  it  will  long  continue 
such.  It  was  not  the  mark  of  a  wise 
man  in  Samson  to  suppose  that  an- 
other would  be  more  faithful  to  him 
than  he  was  to  himself. 

18.  What  is  sweeter  than  honey? 
tohat  is  stronger  than  a  lion  1  This 
must  be  understood  merely  as  a  com- 


18  And  the  men  of  the  city 
said  unto  him  on  the  seventh 
day  before  the  sun  went  down, 
What  is  sweeter  than  honey? 
and  what  is  stronger  than  a 
lion  ?  And  he  said  unto  them, 
If  ye  had  not  ploughed  with  my 
heifer,  ye  had  not  found  out  my 
riddle. 

19  II  And  Pthe  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  came  upon  him,  and  he 
went  down  to  Askelon,  and  slew 

pch.3.  10.  &  13.25. 


pend  of  the  solution  of  the  riddle  > 
for  it  was  not  simply  the  two  distinct 
objects,  the  lion  and  the  honey,  which 
constituted  its  point,  but  the  '  coming 
out'  of  the  one  from  the  other,  and 
unless  the  manner  of  this  was  stated, 
we  do  not  see  how  the  riddle  could 
properly  be  considered  as  solved. 
IT  Ij  ye  had  not  floughed  with  my 
heifer,  &c.  A  proverbial  expression, 
intimating  that  the  Philistines  could 
not  have  obtained  the  solution  of  the 
riddle  without  availing  themselves 
of  the  assistance  of  his  wife.  Sam- 
son might  justly  have  disputed  the 
point  with  them,  inasmuch  as  they 
did  not  find  out  the  riddle  themselves, 
but  gained  the  knowledge  of  it  by 
treachery ;  nevertheless  he  generous- 
ly determined  to  abide  by  the  forfeit. 
19.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came 
upon  him.  See  on  v.  6.  II  Went 
down  to  Ashkelon,  and  slew  thirty  men 
of  them,  &c.  Ashkelon  was  a  city 
possessed  at  this  time  by  the  Philis- 
tines, and  one  of  their  five  lordships, 
though  it  had  previously  been  taken 
and  for  some  time  held  by  Judah, 
ch.  1.  18.  It  was  situated  fifteen 
miles  north  of  Gaza,  nine  north  of 
Ashdod,  and  about  forty  west  from 
Jerusalem.  The  divine  predictions 
respecting  it  have  been  so  literally 
fulfilled,  that  there  is  not,  says 
Richardson,  an  inhabitant  within  its 
walls ;  its  lofty  towers  lie  scattered 
on  the  ground,  and  the  ruins  within 
its  walls  do  not  shelter  a  human  be- 
ing.   Samson's  .going  to  this  distant 


A.  C.  1141.] 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


345 


thirty  men  of  them,  and  took 
their  spoil,  and  gave  change 
of  garments  unto  them  which 
expounded  the  riddle.  And  his 
anger    was     kindled,    and     he 


city  and  taking  the  lives  of  thirty  of 
its  inhabitants  can  only  be  justified 
on  the  general  ground  of  his  being 
raised  up  to  be  a  judge  and  deliverer 
of  his  people,  and  to  avenge  their 
Philistine  oppressors.  The  inference 
is  reasonable,  that  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  came  upon  him  not  only  to 
enable^  but  also  to  authorise  him  to 
perform  the  deed  here  mentioned. 
'  It  is  just  with  God  to  destine  what 
enemies  he  pleases  to  execution.  It 
is  not  to  be  inquired,  why  this  man 
is  stricken  rather  than  another,  when 
both  are  Philistines.'  Bp.  Hall.  IT 
Took  their  spoil.  Their  apparel ; 
the  garments  which  they  had  on, 
and  of  which  he  stripped  their  dead 
bodies.  Express  mention,  it  is  true, 
is  not  here  made  of  the  sheets  or 
shirts^  but  they  are  evidently  implied 
from  V.  13.  The  Jewish  critics 
make  it  a  question  how  Samson, 
being  a  Nazarite,  and  consequently 
forbidden  to  touch  a  deadbody,  Num. 
6.  6,  could,  without  pollution,  have 
possessed  himself  of  the  raiment  of 
these  slain  Philistines.  The  ques- 
tion is  one  of  no  great  moment,  as 
the  facts  in  the  case  force  us  to  the 
conclusion,  either  that  this  prohibi- 
tion was  binding  only  upon  the  tem- 
porary., and  not  upon  the  perpetital 
Nazarites,  or  that  God  through  his 
Spirit  acting  in  and  by  Samson, 
granted  him  a  dispensation  in  this 
particular;  as  the  same  authority 
which  binds  has  power  also  to  loose, 
in  regard  to  ceremonial  observances. 
IT  His  answer  was  kindled.  Against 
his  perfidious  wife  and  his  thirty 
companions,  whose  treatment  of  him 
had  been  so  treacherous  and  unprin- 
cipled. IT  He  went  up  to  his  fa- 
therms  house.  Abandoning  for  the 
present  his  new-married  wife,  but 
not,  we  think,  with  the  design  of 
a  permanent  desertion.  It  was 
probably  with  a  view,  in  a  mild  way, 
30 


went  up  to  his  father's  house. 
20    But  Samson's  wife  "^was 
given  to  his  companion,  whom, 
he  had  used  as  ""his  friend. 

q  ch.  15.  2.        r  John  3.  29. 

to  signify  his  displeasure  at  her  re- 
cent conduct,  and  to  bring  her  to  the 
expression  of  a  suitable  regret.  The 
result,  however,  was  different  from 
what  he  anticipated. 

20.  Samson's  wife  urns  given  to 
his  companion,  &c.  Heb.  'became  to 
his  companion.'  The  consent  and 
agency  of  her  parents  in  this  dispo- 
sal of  her  are  not  expressed  but  im- 
plied. It  is  probable  that  they  were 
by  this  time,  on  further  acquaintance 
with  Samson,  quite  willing  to  have 
the  connection  broken  up,  and  to  be 
rid  of  one  whose  intimate  relation  to 
them  augured  no  good,  and  accord- 
ingly seized  the  colorable  pretence 
of  his  temporary  withdrawment  to 
make  the  separation  lasting.  '  What 
pretence  of  friendship  soever  he 
make,  a  true  Philistine  will  soon  be 
weary  of  an  Israelite.'  Bp.  Hall. 
IT  Wiioyn  he  had  used  as  his  friend. 
With  whom  he  had  been  upon  the 
most  intimate  terms.  This  person, 
technically  termed  the  paranymph^ 
was  probably  what  is  called  in  the 
New  Testament  the  '  friend  of  the 
bridegroom.'  He  was  a  trusted 
friend,  and  charged  with  a  peculiarly 
delicate  and  confidential  ofiice.  He 
devoted  himself  for  a  time  almost 
entirely  to  the  affairs  of  the  bride- 
groom ;  before  the  day  of  marriage, 
he  was  usually  the  medium  of  com- 
raanjcation  between  the  bridegroom 
and  the  bride  ;  during  the  marriage 
festivity,  he  was  in  constant  attend- 
ance, doing  his  best  to  promote  the 
hilarity  of  the  entertainments,  and 
rejoicing  in  the  happiness  of  his 
friend.  Nor  did  his  duties  terminate 
with  the  completion  of  the  marriage, 
but  he  was  considered  the  patron 
and  confidential  friend  of  both  par- 
ties, and  was  usually  called  in  to 
compose  any  differences  that  might 
arise  between  them.  Samson's 
friend  must,  as  his  paranymph,  have 


346 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1140. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
"DUT  it  came  to  pass  within  a 
"^  while  after,  in  the  time  of 
wheat-harvest,  that  Samson  visit- 
ed his  wife  with  a  kid  ;  and  he 
said,  I  will  go  in  to  my  wife  into 
the  chamber.  But  her  father 
would  not  suffer  him  to  go  in. 

2  And  her  father  said,  I  veri- 
ly  thought  that  thou  hadst  utter- 


had  peculiar  facilities  for  forming 
an  acquaintance  with  the  woman, 
and  of  gaining  her  favorable  notice; 
and  the  treachery  of  one  whom  he 
had  so  largely  trusted,  must  have 
been  peculiarly  distressing  to  him. 
Wrongs  done  by  a  friend  wound  the 
spirit  more  deeply  than  any  others. 
*  It  was  thou  my  friend,'  says  David. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

1.  In  the  time  of  loheat  harvest. 
Which  in  that  country  was  in  April 
and  May.  The  time  of  the  visit  is 
specified  in  reference  to  the  exploit 
subsequently  mentioned,  v.  4,  5.  IF 
Visited  his  icife  loith  a  kid.  Carry- 
ing a  kid  in  loken  of  reconciliation. 
Time  had  now  cooled  his  resent- 
ments, and  probably  not  knowing 
that  she  had  meanwhile  been  given 
to  another,  he  was  willing  to  make 
the  first  overtures  of  returning  ami- 
ty. '  The  wisest,  though  offended, 
will  be  the  first  to  seek  peace,  and 
the  readiest  to  pass  by  a  transgres- 
sion.' Haioeis.  IT  He  said,  1  will 
go  in,  &c.  He  said  to  himself;  he 
proposed ;  he  formed  the  purpose. 
IT  Into  the  chamber.  Into  the  interior 
apartments  appropriated  to  the  wo- 
men ;  the  harem. 

2.  I  verily  thought  that  thou  hadst 
utterly  hated  her.  Heb. '  saying,  I  said, 
that  thou,'  &c.  I  said  in  my  heart,  I 
certainly  concluded.  The  excuse  was 
very  frivolous,  for  it  does  not  appear 
that  Samson  was  long  absent,  and  at 
any  rate,  he  had  no  right  to  bestow 
her  again  in  marriage  without  first 
apprising  him  of  his  intention. 
The  act  of  repudiation  in  the  East 


ly  *hated  her ;  therefore  I  gave 
her  to  thy  companion  :  is  not 
her  younger  sister  fairer  than 
she  ?  take  her,  I  pray  thee,  in- 
stead of  her. 

8  HAnd  Samson  said  concern- 
ing them,  Now  shall  I  be  more 
blameless  than  the  Philistines, 
though  I  do  them  a  displeasure. 

4    And    Samson    went     and 


was  always  supposed  to  originate 
with  the  husband  and  not  with  the 
wife.  ^  Is  not  her  younger  sister 
fairer  than  she  ?  Heb.  '  better  than 
she.'  Words  expressive  of  moral 
qualities  are  in  Hebrew  and  other 
languages,  frequently  applied  to  per- 
sonal endowments.  Thus  in  English 
we  have  '  good-looking'  for  hand- 
some. IT  Take  her.  Heb.  '  let  her 
be  to  thee.'  Thus,  in  fact,  proposing 
what  would  have  been  to  Samson  an 
incestuous  marriage.  Lev.  18.  18, 
however  the  Philistines  regarded  it. 

3.  Samson  said  co7icerning  them. 
Said  to  himself.  It  is  very  improb- 
able that  he  wduld  have  announced 
verbally  to  any  one  the  purpose 
which  he  had  now  conceived  in  his 
mind.  In  forming  this  resolalion, 
he  acted  rather  in  a  public  than  a 
private  capacity.  Had  he  aimed  to 
avenge  only  his  personal  injuries,  it 
would  have  been  sufficient  to  have 
chastised  his  rival  and  his  father-in- 
law  only :  but  as  the  slight  which 
excited  his  indignation  had  no  doubt 
been  put  upon  him  because  he  was 
an  Israelite,  he  determines  as  an  Is- 
raelite to  seek  revenge.  He  had 
done  what  was  proper  in  endeavor- 
ing by  a  present  to  effect  a  reconcili- 
ation'with  his  wife,  but  as  his  over- 
tures had  been  repulsed,  no  one  could 
blame  him  if  he  now  showed  hisjust 
resentments.  When  we  have  done 
our  best  to  prevent  a  quarrel,  we 
cannot  be  charged  with  the  conse- 
quences of  it. 

4.  Went  and  caught  three  hundred 
foxes.  Not  that  he  did  this  in  one 
day,  or  that  he  did  it  alone.    In  the 


A.  C.  1140.] 


CHAPTER  XV. 


347 


caught  three  hundred  foxes,  and 
took  fire-brands,  and  turned  tail 
to  tail,  and  put  a  fire-brand  in 
the  midst  between  two  tails. 

Scripture  idiom,  a  person  is  continu- 
ally described  as  doing  that  which 
he  orders  to  be  done,  and  no  doubt 
such  a  person  as  Samson  could  easi- 
ly command  whatever  assistance  he 
required.    Nor  is  it  to  be  supposed 
that  the   scene  of  devastation  was 
confined    to  one    particular  place. 
From   the  subsequent  narrative    it 
would  appear  that  the  destruction  of 
the  cornfields  extended  wndely  over 
the    territories  of    the    Philistines. 
Comp.  V.  6.    As  to  the  kind  of  ani- 
mal employed  on  this  occasion,  there 
has    been    no     small    controversy 
among  expositors.    The  Heb.  word 
t'^bS'iiIJ  Skualim,  is  now  generally 
agreed  to  have  included  in  its  mean- 
ing not  only  '  foxes,'  but  also  'jack- 
als,' an  animal  rightly  described  as 
something  between  the  wolf  and  the 
fox,  and  hence  sometimes  termed  by 
naturalists  '  the  wolf-fox.'      These 
animals,  which  w^ere  very  numerous 
in  Palestine,  associate  together  in 
large  herds  or  packs,  sometimes  to 
the  amount  of  two  or  three  hundred ; 
differing  in  this  respect  from  the  fox, 
which  is  not  gregarious,  and  is  far 
more  cunning.  Like  foxes,  however, 
they  live  in  holes,  which  ihey  form 
under  ground,  and  they  are  particul- 
arly prone  to  resort  to  ruined  towns, 
not  only  because  they  there  find  nu- 
merous secure  retreats  ready  made, 
but  because  the  same  facilities  at- 
tract to  such  places  other  animals, 
on  whose   dead  bodies    they  prey. 
From  this    circumstance,   the    pro- 
phets in  describing  the  future  desola- 
tion of  a  city,  say  it  shall  become 
'  the  habitation  of  jackals,'  a  predic- 
diction  verified  by  the  actual  condi- 
tion ot   many  places  to  which  their 
prophecies  apply.   Thus  it  is  said  by 
travellers  that  the  ruins  of  Ascalon 
in    particular    afford    habitation  to 
great    numbers  of    these    animals. 
The  bowlings  of  these  packs  of  jack' 
sds  are   frightful,  and   give   great , 


5  And  when  he  had  set  the 
brands  on  fire,  he  let  them  go 
into  the  standing  corn  of  the 
Philistines,   and    burnt  up   both 


alarm  to  travellers ;    whence  they 
are  also  called  in  Heb.  t-ii^^  Ayim, 
holders,  improperly  rendered  '  wild 
beasts  of  the  islands.'      Is.  13.  22. 
Jer.  2.  39.     But  it  appears  that  the 
common  fox  is  also  of  frequent  oc- 
currence in  Palestine,  and  as  both 
are  included    under    the    common 
term  Shual,  it  must  generally  be  left 
to  the  bearing  of  the  context  to  deter- 
mine when  the  jackal  and  when  the 
fox  are  respectively  denoted.     That 
the  jackal  is  intended  in  the  text 
now  before  us,  we  may  infer  from 
the  number  of   animals    taken  by 
Samson,   which    must    have    been 
easier  with  creatures  prowling  in 
large  droves,  than  with  a  solitary 
and  very  wily  animal  like  the  fox. 
IT  Took  firebrands,      Rather,   Heb. 
iD'^lCb  torches.    K  firebrand,  in  such 
a  position,  if  sufficiently  ignited  to 
kindle  a  blaze  in  the  shocks  of  corn, 
would  soon  have  burnt  itself  free 
from  the  tails  of  the  foxes,  or  have 
been  extinguished  by  being  drawn 
over  the  ground.     A  torch  or  flam- 
beau, on  the  other  hand,  made  of  re- 
sinous wood  or  artificial  materials, 
being  more  tenacious  of  flame,  would 
have  answered  a  far  better  purpose  ; 
and  such  is  the  legitimate  import  of 
the  original.        \And  turned  tail  to 
tail.     I'his  was  doubtless  intended 
to  prevent  them  from  making  too 
rapid  a  retreat  to  their  holes,  or,  in- 
deed, from  going  to  their  holes  at 
all.    They  were  probably  not  so  tied 
that  they  should  pull  in  different  di- 
rections, but  that  they  might  run  de- 
viously and  slowly,  side  by  side,  and 
so  do  the  more  effectual  execution. 
Had  he   put  a  torch  to  the  tail  of 
each,  the  creature,  naturally  terrified 
at  fire,  would  instantly  have  betaken 
itself  to  its  hole  or  some  place  of  re- 
treat, and  thus  the  design  of  Samson 
would  have  been  wholly  frustrated. 
But  by  tying  two  of  them  together 
by  the  tail  ihey  would  frequently 


348 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1140. 


the  shocks,  and  also  the  stand- 
ing corn,  with  the  vineyards  a7id 
olives. 

6  IT  Then  the  Philistines  said, 
Who  hath  done  this  ?  And  they 
answered,  Samson,  the  son -in- 
law  of  the  Timnite,  because  he 
had  taken  his  wife,  and  given 
her  to  his  companion.  ''And 
the    Philistines    came   up,   and 


thwart  each  other  in  running,  and 
thus  cause  the  greater  devastation. 
If  it  be  asked  why  Samson  resorted 
to  such  an  expedient  at  all,  instead 
of  firing  the  cornfields  with  his  own 
hand,  which  would  have  been  a 
much  simpler  and  easier  method  of 
compassing  his  object,  we  may  say 
perhaps  in  reply,  that  by  the  mean- 
ness and  weakness  of  the  instru- 
ments employed  he  designed  to  put 
a  more  signal  contempt  upon  the 
enemies  with  whom  he  contended, 
thus  mingling  ridicule  with  revenge. 
6.  And  they  answered,  &c.  '  The 
mention  of  the  offence  draws  in  (that 
of)  the  provocation;  and  now  the 
wrong  to  Samson  is  scanned  and  re- 
venged; because  the  fields  of  the 
Philistines  are  burned  for  the  wrong 
done  to  Samson  by  the  Timnite  in  his 
daughter,  therefore  the  Philistines 
burn  the  Timnite  and  his  daughter. 
The  tying  of  the  firebrand,  between 
two  foxes  was  not  so  witty  a  policy,  as 
the  setting  of  a  fire  of  dissension  be- 
twixt the  Philistines.'  Bp.  Hall.  IT 
Burnt  her  and  her  father  withjire.  A 
most  inhuman  and  barbarous  act,  on 
the  part  of  its  perpetrators,  yet  won- 
derfully overruled  in  the  Providence 
of  God  to  chastise  the  guilty.  The 
Philistines  had  threatened  Samson's 
wife  that  if  she  did  not  obtain  and  dis- 
close her  husband's  secret,  they  would 
burn  her  and  her  father's  house  with 
fire.  She,  to  save  herself  and  oblige 
her  countrymen,  betrayed  her  hus- 
band ;  and  now  by  so  doing  brought 
upon  herself  the  very  doom  which 
she  so  studiously  sought  to  avoid! 


burnt  her  and  her  father  with 
fire. 

7  IT  And  Samson  said  unto 
them.  Though  ye  have  done  this, 
yet  will  I  be  avenged  of  you, 
and  after  that  I  will  cease. 

8  And  he  smote  them  hip  and 
thigh  with  a  great  slaughter. 
And  he  went  down  and  dwelt 
in  the  top  of  the  rock  Etam. 


To  seek  to  escape  suffering  by  sin, 
is  the  surest  way  to  bring  it  upon  us  I 
'  The  fear  of  the  wicked,  it  shall 
come  upon  him.' 

7.  Though  ye  have  done  this,  &c. 
Though  you  have  thought  by  this 
act  of  cruelty  to  my  wife  and  kin- 
dred, to  make  amends  for  the  injury 
done  to  me,  yet  flatter  not  yourselves 
that  I  am  thereby  appeased,  and  that 
I  shall  forbear  farther  hostilities. 
He  doubtless  saw  that  his  wife  and 
her  family  were  victims  to  a  hasty 
indignation  occasioned  by  their  own 
losses,  rather  than  the  "subjects  of 
a  righteous  and  well-considered  re- 
tribution, and  that  accordingly  there 
was  no  reason  for  him,  as  a  public 
judge  called  and  appointed  of  God 
to  deliver  his  country  from  oppres- 
sion, to  cease  to  prosecute  that  work. 

8.  Smote  them  hip  and  thigh.  Heb. 
'  smote  them  leg  upon  thigh.'  Ap- 
parently a  proverbial  expression, 
implying,  according  to  Gesenius, 
that  he  cut  them  in  pieces,  so  that 
their  limbs,  their  legs  and  thighs, 
were  scattered  and  heaped  promis- 
cuously together  ;  equivalent  to  say- 
ing, that  he  totally  destroyed  them. 
Whether  this  be  the  genuine  inter- 
pretation admits  of  some  doubt,  but 
as  we  have  nothing  more  plausible 
to  propose,  it  is  left  to  the  readers's 
judgment,  as  one  of  the  cases  where 
entire  satisfaction  as  to  the  writer's 
meaning,  is  unattainable.  That  a 
signal  overthrow  and  a  great  slaugh- 
ter is  intended,  seems  to  be  unques- 
tionable. IT  Dn-elt  in  the  top  of  the 
rock  Etam.     Rather,  according  to 


A-  C.  1140.] 


CHAPTER  XV. 


349 


9  IT  Then  the  Philistines  went 
up,  and  pitched  in  Judah,  and 
spread  themselves  ''in  Lehi. 

10  And  the  men  of  Judah  said, 
Why  are  ye  come  up  against 
us  ?  And  they  answered,  To 
bind  Samson  are  we  come  up, 
to  do  to  him  as  he  hath  done  to 
us. 

11  Then  three  thousand  men 
of  Judah  went  to  the  top  of  the 


the  Heb. '  in  a  cleft,  in  a  fissure  of  the 
rock.'  Of  the  exact  position  of  this 
place,  or  of  Samson's  motive  In  resort- 
ing thither,  we  are  not  informed.  It 
wasprobablyanatural  fortress,  afford- 
ing peculiar  advantages  for  defence, 
of  which  Samson  no  doubt  foresaw, 
that  he  would  soon  be  in  need  of  a  vail- 
ing himself  Their  recent  defeat 
would  naturally  rouse  the  wrath  of 
his  enemies  and  bring  them  upon 
him  in  all  their  force.  It  seems  al- 
together likely  from  his  words  in 
the  concluding  part  of  v.  7,  that  he 
had  accomplished  his  present  pur- 
poses of  revenge,  and  designed  no 
farther  annoyance  to  the  Philis- 
tines unless  provoked  to  it  by  new 
aggressions  on  their  part.  If  they 
then  will  rouse  the  sleeping  lion,  let 
them  expect  to  pay  dear  for  their 
temerity. 

9.  Pitched  in  Judah  and  spread 
themselves  in  Lehi.  Etam,  the  strong 
hold,  to  which  Samson  had  now 
betaken  himself  was  in  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  and  the  Philistines  probably 
intended  by  suddenly  appearing  with 
a  large  army  in  their  borders  to  in- 
timidate that  tribe,  and  make  them 
subservient  to  their  design  of  cap- 
turing Samson.  '  Lehi'  is  so  called 
here  by  anticipation,  as  it  received 
that  name  from  the  slaughter  with 
the  jaw-bone,  which  had  not  yet 
taken  place. 

10.  To  bind  Samson  are  loe  come 
up,  &c.  From  the  sequel  it  would 
appear  that  their  answer  included 
also  a  demand  upon  the  men  of  Judah 

30* 


rock  Etam,  and  said  to  Samson 
Knowest  thou  not  that  the  Phil- 
istines are  "^rulers  over  us?  what 
is  this  that  thou  has  done  unto 
us  ?  And  he  said  unto  them, 
As  they  did  unto  me,  so  have  I 
done  unto  them. 

12  And  they  said  unto  him, 
We  are  come  down  to  bind  thee, 
that  we  may  deliver  thee  into 
the  hand  of  the  Philistines.   And 


for  their  services  and  co-operation 
in  making  a  prisoner  of  Samson, 

11.  Knowest  thou  not  that  the  Phil- 
istines are  rulers  over  us.  A  most 
degrading  confession  to  come  from 
the  lips  of  an  Israelite,  and  plainly 
showing  that  they  had  become  con- 
tented slaves,  more  fearful  of  ofiend- 
ing  the  Philistines  than  anxious  to 
assert  their  independence.  But  their 
spirits  were  broken  by  the  base 
bondage  which  their  iniquities  had 
brought  upon  them,  and  instead  of 
bravely  setting  Samson  at  their 
head  to  fight  for  their  liberty,  they 
meanly  resolve  to  make  a  sacrifice 
of  him  to  his  enemies !  preferring 
ignominious  servitude  to  a  generous 
struggle  for  their  country.  Instead 
of  honoring  him  for  his  courage, 
they  blame  him  for  his  rashness, 
and  desire  him  peaceably  to  submit 
to  their  bonds  I  IT  Swear  unto  me, 
that  ye  will  not  fall  upon  me  your- 
selves. Though  he  had  abundant 
occasion  to  expostulate  with  them 
on  account  of  their  ingratitude,  and 
to  upbraid  them  with  their  cowardice 
and  infatuation,  yet  he  generously 
forbears  reproaches  and  merely  de- 
mands assurance  that  he  should  re- 
ceive no  harm  at  their  hands.  He 
does  not  make  this  stipulation  for 
fear  of  them,  for  he  could  as  easily 
have  freed  himself  from  the  hands 
of  his  brethren  as  from  those  of  the 
Philistines,  but  he  would  avoid  the 
necessity  of  acting  towards  them  as 
enemies.  His  motive  for  consenting 
thus  readily  to  be  bound  and  deliver- 


350 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1140. 


Samson  said  unto  them,  Swear 
unto  me,  that  ye  will  not  fall 
upon  me  yourselves. 

13  And  they  spake  unto  him, 
saying,  No  ;  but  we  will  bind 
thee  fast,  and  deliver  thee  into 
their  hand  :  but  surely  we  will 
not  kill  thee.  And  they  bound 
him  with  two  new  cords,  and 
brought  him  up  from  the  rock. 

14  IF  Ajicl  when  he  came  unto 
Lehi,  the  Philistines  shouted 
against  him  :  and  nhe  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  came   mightily  upon 


ch.  3.  10.  &  14.  6. 


ed  up  to  the  Philistines  undoubtedly 
was,  that  he  knew  the  issue  of  it 
would  be  to  afford  him  a  new  occa- 
sion of  inflicting  vengeance  upon 
that  oppressive  race.  '  Samson 
abides  to  be  lied  by  his  own  country- 
men, that  he  may  have  the  glory  of 
freeing  himself  victoriously.  Even 
so,  O  Saviour,  our  better  Nazarite, 
thou,  which  couldst  have  called  to 
thy  father,  and  have  had  twelve  le- 
gions of  angels  for  thy  rescue, 
wouldst  be  bound  voluntarily  that 
thou  rnighiest  triumph !  So  the 
blessed  martyrs  were  racked  and 
would  not  be  loosed,  because  they 
expected  a  belter  resurrection.  If 
we  be  not  as  well  ready  to  suffer  ill,, 
as  to  do  good,  we  are  not  fit  for  the 
consecration  of  God.'    Bp.  Hall. 

13.  Brought  him  up  from  the  rock. 
From  the  cleft  or  cave  of  the  rock 
in  which  he  had  taken  shelter.  See 
on  V.  8.  From  hence  he  was  brought 
to  Lehi,  where  the  Philistines  had 
pitched  their  camp. 

14.  Became  as  flax  that  uw.s  burnt. 
A  flaxen  or  hempen  cord  that  has 
been  burnt  in  the  fire  will  still  re- 
tain its  form  when  taken  out,  but  it 
has  no  strength ;  it  is  henceforth  a 
mere  cinder  and  falls  to  pieces  at  the 
slightest  touch.  Such,  in  point  of 
weakness,  were  the  cords  with  which 
Samson  was  now  bound.  In  the 
ensuing  clause,  'his  bands    loosed 


him,  and  the  cords  that  were  up- 
on his  arms  became  as  flax  that 
was  burnt  with  fire,  and  his 
bands  loosed  from  ofT  his  hands. 

15  And  he  found  a  new  jaw. 
bone  of  an  ass,  and  put  forth  his 
hand,  and  took  it,  and  ^slew  a 
thousand  men  therewith. 

16  And  Samson  said,  With 
the  jaw-bone  of  an  ass  heaps 
upon  heaps,  with  the  jaw  of  an 
ass  have  I  slain  a  thousand 
men. 

17  And  it  came  to  pass  when 

fch.  3.  31.    Lev.  526.  8.     Josh.  23.  10. 


(Heb.  melted),'  the  figure  is  varied 
and  the  bands  represented  2ls flowing 
off  his  limbs  like  a  liquid  substance. 

15.  Found  a  neto  jaw-bone  of  an 
ass.  Heb.  n"^ii2  gt'f^^ti  or  moist,  i.  e. 
the  jaw-bone  of  an  ass  recently  dead. 
The  bones  of  any  animal  in  such  a 
state,  would  not  so  easily  break  as 
when  ihey  had  become  dry. 

16.  Heaps  upon  heaps.  Heb  'an  heap, 
two  heaps.'  The  original  contains 
a  peculiar  play  upon  the  sound  of  the 
words  which  cannot  be  transferred 
into  any  other  language.  The  same 
word  in  Hebrew  ^^)*^  chamor,  sig- 
nifies both  an  '  ass'  and  a  '  heap,'  thus 
forming  an  elegant  paranomasia, 
and  representing  the  Philistines  fall- 
ing as  tamely  as  asses.  Some  have 
considered  this  short  pean  of  Samson 
as  faulty  in  not  ascribing  his  victory 
more  directly  and  unequivocally  to 
God,  who  had  enabled  him  to  accom- 
plish it.  The  words  it  is  true  con- 
tain no  express  mention  of  the  name 
of  Jehovah,  but  it  cannot,  we  think, 
be  fairly  inferred  that  the  recogni- 
tion of  the  divine  power  was  not 
present  to  his  thoughts,  or  that  he 
intended  to  ascribe  the  result  to  the 
prowess  of  his  own  arm.  It  is  per- 
haps rather  to  be  understood  as  an 
exclamation  of  grateful  and  adoring 
wonder,  that  he,  who  was  in  himself 
a  poor,  weak  worm,  should  have 
been  enabled  with  such  a  contemp- 


A.  C.  1140.] 


CHAPTER  XV. 


351 


he  had  made  an  end  of  speaking, 
that  he  cast  away  the  jaw-bone 
out  of  his  hand,  and  called  that 
place  Ramath-lehi. 

18  IT  And  he  was  sore  athirst, 
and  called  on  the  Lord,  and 
said,  &Thou  hast  given  this  great 
deliverance  into  the  hand  of 
thy  servant :  and  now  shall  I 
die  for  thirst,  and  fall  into  the 
hand  of  the  uncircumcised  ? 

g  Ps.  3.  7. 


tible  instrument,  to  effect  so  signal 
an  overthrow  of  his  enemies. 

17.  Called  that  place  Ramath-lehi. 
And  by  contraction  '  Lehi;'  as  was 
usual  with  proper  names,  as  Salem 
for  Jerusalem,  Sheba  for  Beersheba, 
and  many  others.  The  exact  im- 
port of  the  original  ^nb  ti)2''\  Ram- 
ath-lehi is  not  easily  determined.  It 
may  mean  either  '  the  casting  away 
of  the  jaw-bone,'  '  the  lifting  up  of 
the  jaw-bone,'  or  '  the  hill  of  the  jaw- 
bone.' The  last  is  most  consistent 
with  grammatical  structure,  and 
unites  in  its  support  the  suffrages  of 
the  greatest  number  of  modern 
critics. 

19.  God  clave  a  hollow  place.  That 
is,  so  clave  the  ground  or  the  rock 
as  to  make  a  holloio  place.  Thus  Ps. 
74.  15,  '  Thou  didst  cleave  the  foun- 
tain ;'  i.  e.  thou  didst  cleave  the  rock 
so  as  to  cause  a  fountain  to  spring 
up  in  it.  Thus  Is.  47.  2,  '  Take  the 
millstones  and  grind  meal;'  i.  e. 
grind  corn  into  meal.  Judg.  16.  30, 
'  The  dead  which  he  slew  at  his 
death,'  &c.,  i.  e.  those  who  became 
dead  by  his  slaying  them.  The  ori- 
ginal for  '  hollow-place'  elsewhere 
signifies  a  mortar,  and  here  denotes 
undoubtedly  that  a  cavity  was  now 
made  in  the  earth  of  the  form  of  a 
mortar,  on  which  account  Horsely 
not  unaptly  renders  it,  '  clave  a  mor- 
tar-hole in  Lehi.'  ITTM^was  in 
thejaio.  An  unfortunate  rendering, 
as  is  now  almost  universally  conced- 
ed. The  writer  undoubtedly  meant 
to  say,  that  God  clave  a  hollow  place 


19  But  God  clave  a  hollow 
place  that  was  in  the  jaw,  and 
there  came  water  thereout ;  and 
when  he  had  drunk,  ''his  spirit 
came  again,  and  he  revived. 
Wherefore  he  called  the  name 
thereof  En-hakkore,  which  is  in 
Lehi  unto  this  day. 

20  And  he  judged  Israel  'in 
the  days  of  the  Philistines  twen- 
ty years. 


h  Gen.  45.  27. 


which  was  in  Lehi,  and  not  in  the 
jaw-bone.  Indeed  the  propriety  of 
this  reading  is  evident  from  the  con- 
text ;  for  if  we  have  'jaw'  or  'jaw- 
bone' here,  we  ought  to  retain  it  in 
the  concluding  clause  of  this  verse, 
and  instead  of  saying,  'which  is  in 
Lehi  unto  this  day,  say,  'which  is 
in  the  jaw-bone  unto  this  day.'  The 
fact  that  the  Hebrew  word  for  '  jaw- 
bone' and  for '  Lehi'  is  the  same,  and 
a  fondness  for  multiplying  miracles, 
probably  led  several  of  the  ancient 
versions  to  understand  Lehi  here  as 
denoting  the  jaw-bone  of  the  ass 
rather  than  the  place  so  called.  IT 
His  spirit  came  again.  His  strength 
and  spirits,  exhausted  by  the  exces- 
sive fatigue  of  the  recent  encounter, 
were  effectually  revived.  IT  He 
called  the  name  thereof  En-hakkore. 
That  is,  '  the  fountain  of  him  that 
called  or  prayed.'  Geddes, '  invoca- 
tion-well.' Instead  of '  he  called,' 
the  proper  rendering  undoubtedly  is, 
'  it  was  called,'  i.  e.  this  became  its 
popular  appellation,  as  it  seems  to 
have  become  henceforward  a  peren- 
nial spring.  According  to  the  dis- 
tinction of  the  Hebrew  accents  the 
whole  clause  is  to  be  translated  thus ; 
'  And  the  name  thereof  was  called 
unto  this  day  En-hakkore,  which  is 
in  Lehi.' 

20.  Judged  Israel  in  the  days  of  the 
Philistines  twenty  years.  His  ad- 
ministration is  supposed  not  to  have 
been  strictly  universal  or  extended 
over  the  whole  of  Israel,  but  limited 
rather  to  the  southwestern  district  of 


353 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1120. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
npHEN  went  Samson  to  Gaza, 
"^  and  saw  there  a  harlot,  and 
went  in  unto  her. 


Palestine,  where  the  oppression  of  the 
people  was  most  severe.  The  phrase, 
'in  the  days  of  the  Philistines,' is 
peculiar,  implying  the  days  or  the 
period  during  which  the  Philistines 
had  the  upper  hand  of  Israel ;  leav- 
ing us  to  infer  that  Samson's  efforts 
did  not  avail  entirely  to  crush,  but 
only  to  restrain,  limit  and  weaken 
the  power  of  the  oppressors.  The 
Lord  did  not  grant  a  full  deliverance, 
because  his  people  were  not  yet  suf- 
ficiently chastised  for  their  sins. 
Indeed  it  was  not  till  the  days  of 
David  that  the  Philistine  yoke  was 
completely  shaken  off.  2  Sam.  3.  18. 
Of  the  adjustment  of  the  period  of 
twenty  years  here  mentioned,  see 
ch.  13.  1. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
1.  Then  went  Samson  to  Gaza. 
This  place  was  the  capital  and  the 
most  important  of  the  five  Philistine 
principalities,  and  was  situated  about 
fifteen  miles  south  of  Ascalon,  sixty 
miles  southwest  from  Jerusalem,  and 
between  two  and  three  miles  from 
the  sea.  It  was  a  very  ancient  city, 
and  is  always  spoken  of  in  the  Old 
Testament  as  a  place  of  great  impor- 
tance. In  more  modern  times  it  has 
undergone  a  great  variety  of  changes 
occasioned  by  the  fortunes  of  war, 
till  at  present  it  has  declined  to  a 
trading  village  of  .some  three  or  four 
thousand  inhabitants.  It  stands  upon 
a  hill  of  about  two  miles  circumfer- 
ence at  the  base,  surrounded  by  val- 
leys, and  overlooking  a  prospect  of 
much  beauty.  Environed  by  and  in- 
terspersed with  gardens  and  planta- 
tions of  olive  and  date  trees,  the  town 
has  a  picturesque  appearance,  to 
which  its  numerous  elegant  minarets 
not  a  little  contribute.  The  build- 
ings being  mostly  of  stone,  and  the 
streets  moderately  broad,  the  interior 
answers  expectaiioa  better  than  most 


2  And  it  was  told  the  Gazites, 
saying,  Samson  is  come  hither. 
And  they  "compassed  him  in, 
and  laid  wait  for  him  all  night 

a  1  Sam.  23.   26.     Ps.  118.  10,  11,  12.    Acts  9.  24. 


Other  towns  of  Syria,  and  affords  ac- 
commodations far  superior  to  most 
places  in  Egypt.    The  suburbs,  how- 
ever, are  composed  of  miserable  mud 
huts  ;  but  all  travellers  concur  with 
Sandys  in  admiring  the  variety  and 
richness  of  the  vegetable  productions, 
both  wild  and  cultivated,  of  the  en- 
virons.    The  inhabitants  have  man- 
ufactures of  cotton  and  soap,  but  de- 
rive their  principal  support  from  the 
commerce  between  Egypt  and  Syria, 
which    must    all    pass    this    way. 
Scarcely  any  of  its  ancient  remains 
are  now  to  be    found.     Those    of 
which  travellers  gave  an  account  a 
century  or  two  ago,  have  nearly  all 
disappeared. — The  real  motive   by 
which  Samson  was  prompted  in  this 
visit  to  Gaza,  it  is  in  vain  to  attempt 
to  discover.    "We  can  scarcely,  how- 
ever from  the  sequel  resist  the  im- 
pression that  his  spiritual  affections 
had  suffered  a  serious  decline,  that 
he  had  relaxed  the  vigilance  and  cir- 
cumspection of  his  walk  as  a  Naza- 
riie,  and  that  he  ventured  uncalled 
among  the  uncircumcised.    Consid- 
ering the  relation  in  which  he  stood 
to  the  Philistines,  and  the  light  in 
which  he  was  regarded  by  them,  it 
was  certainly  a  step  full  of  personal 
danger,  provided  he   went    thither 
openly  and  without  disguise.    But 
from  the  context  it  would  rather  ap- 
pear, that  he  entered  the  gates  with- 
out the  citizens  being  at  first  ap- 
prised of  the  fact.    His  being  there, 
however,  was  soon  noised  abroad, 
and  his  enemies  were  at  once  on  the 
alert  with  their  machinations  to  get 
him  in  their  power,  and  what  secu- 
rity for  safety  have  they  who  wander 
unbidden  from  the  path  of  duty  1    IT 
And  saio  there  an  harlot^  &c.     The 
seeing  this  lewd  woman  v  as  not  per- 
haps the  moving  cause  of  his  going 
to  Gaza,  but  being  there  he  accident- 
ally fell  in  with  her,  and  was  unhap- 


A.  C.  1120.] 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


353 


in  the  gate  of  the  city,  and  were 
quiet  all  the  night,  saying,  In  the 
morning  when  it  is  day  we  shall 
kill  him. 

3  And  Samson  lay  till  mid- 
night,  and  arose  at  midnight, 
and  took  the  doors  of  the  gate  of 
the  city,  and  the  two  posts,  and 
went  away  with  them,  bar  and 
all,  and  put  them  upon  his  shoul- 


pily  ensnared  by  the  sight  of  his  eyes. 
How  have  the  strongest  in  grace  oc- 
casion to  pray,  Lead  us  not  into 
temptation ! 

2.  And  it  was  told  the  Gazites,  say- 
ing^ &.C.  The  original  word  ^:|-\-i 
corresponding  to  the  Italics  are  so 
essential  to  the  completion  of  the 
sense  here,  that  there  can  be  little 
doubt  that  it  has  by  some  accident 
been  omitted.  This  is  confirmed  by 
the  fact  that  the  ancient  versions  for 
the  most  part  exhibit  its  equivalent. 
IT  They  compassed  him  in.  Heb. 
'  they  went  round  about.'  With  the 
utmost  activity  they  traversed  the 
city  to  and  fro,  conversing  with  each 
other,  concerting  plans,  and  adopting 
measures  to  make  a  captive  of  their 
most  formidable  foe.  Their  princi- 
pal precaution,  it  seems,  was  to  sta- 
tion sentinels  at  the  gates  to  appre- 
hend him  as  he  should  attempt  to 
pass  out  in  the  morning.  IT  Were 
quiet  all  the  night.  Heb. '  kept  them- 
selves silent;'  as  if  by  special  con- 
straint. They  would  do  nothing, 
make  no  disturbance,  create  no 
alarm,  that  would  endanger  the  suc- 
cess of  their  schemes. 

3.  Took  the  doors  of  the  gate. 
Heb.  '  laid  hold  of,  seized  '  Not  the 
great  gate  itself,  but  the  two  smaller 
doors  or  leaves,  constructed  within 
the  large  gate,  and  which  alone  were 
opened  on  ordinary  occasions.  The 
posts,  bar,  &c.,  of  these  were  differ- 
ent from  the  more  solid  and  massy 
fixtures  of  the  great  gate,  which  of 
course  he  could  not  think  of  remov- 
ins:.    It  was  indeed  an  instance  of 


ders,  and  carried  them  up  to  the 
top  of  a  hill  that  is  before  He- 
bron. 

4  IF  And  it  came  to  pass  after- 
ward, that  he  loved  a  woman  in 
the  valley  of  Sorek,  whose  name 
was  Delilah. 

5  And  the  lords  of  the  Philis- 
tines came  up  unto  her,  and 
said  unto  her,   ^Entice  him,  and 

b  ch.  14   15.    See  Prov.  2.  16—19.   &    5.  3—11.    &  6 
24,  25,26.  &  7.  Ul,  22,  23. 

divine  forbearance  at  which  Samson 
had  occasion  to  wonder  that  his  su- 
pernatural strength  was  yet  continu- 
ed to  him,  notwithstanding  his  ag- 
gravated offence.  We  should  have 
thought  that  his  very  convictions  of 
conscience  would  have  unnerved  his 
arm,  and  rendered  him  all  but  abso- 
lutely powerless.  But  God  may 
have  wise  reasons  for  deferring  the 
punishment  of  those  sins  which  yet 
do  by  no  means  pass  with  impunity. 
Samson  is  reprieved  but  not  pardon- 
ed. ^  A  hill  that  is  before  Hebron. 
Rightly  understood  and  rendered  by 
the  Sept.  '  which  looketh  towards 
Hebron ;'  for  the  town  of  Hebron 
was  twenty  miles  distant  from  Gaza. 
4.  It  came  to  pass  afterward,  that 
he  loved  a  woman,  &c.  It  is  to  be 
feared  that  Samson's  impunity,  at 
least  for  the  present,  in  the  former 
instance,  emboldened  him  to  give 
way  a  second  time  to  unhallowed  de- 
sires. '  Custom  of  success  makes 
men  confident  in  their  sins,  and 
causes  them  to  mistake  an  arbitrary 
tenure  for  a  perpetuity.'  Bp.  Hall. 
The  same  idea  is  more  emphatically 
expressed  by  Solomon : — '  Because 
sentence  against  an  evil  work  is  not 
executed  speedily,  therefore  the 
he^rt  of  the  sons  of  men  is  fully  set 
in  them  to  do  evil.'  It  is  not  indeed 
expressly  affirmed  that  this  woman 
was  a  harlot,  like  the  former,  but 
from  the  tenor  of  the  ensuing  narra- 
tive, it  is  scarcely  to  be  questioned 
that  she  was.  She  is  no  where 
called  his  wife  ;  he  did  not  take  her 
home  to  his  house ;  and  the  whole 


354 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1120. 


see  wherein  his  great  strength 
lieih,  and  by  what  means  we 
may  prevail  against  him,  that 
we  may  bind  him  to  afflict  him  ; 
and  we  will  give  thee  every  one 
of  us  eleven  hundred  pieces  of 
silver. 

6  IT  And  Delilah  said  to  Sam- 
son, Tell  me  1  pray  thee,  where- 


tiain  of  her  negotiations  with  her 
countrymen  go  to  prove  that  she  was 
a  mercenary  and  perfidious  courte- 
zan, governed  in  her  conduct  towards 
Samson  by  interest  instead  of  affec- 
tion, if  indeed  it  be  not  profaning  the 
term  affection  to  use  it  in  connection 
wi  h  such  an  illicit  and  degrading 
intercourse.  Of  the  position  of  the 
valley  of  Sorek  nolliing  certain  is 
known, — As  to  the  name  of  this  vile 
woman  '  Delilah,'  its  import  is  that 
oi hurabling,  abasing,  bringing  down, 
and  like  hundreds  of  other  names  in 
the  Scriptures,  originating  in  events, 
may  have  been  derived  from  the  evil 
influence  which  she  exerted  upon 
Samson. 

5.  Entice  him,  and  see,  &c.  '  The 
princes  of  the  Philistines,'  as  Bp. 
Hall  shrewdly  remarks,  '  knew  al- 
ready where  Samson's  'weakness  lay, 
though  not  his  stre7igth,  and  there- 
fore they  would  entice  his  harlot 
with  gifts  to  entice  him.'  These  five 
satraps  made  common  cause  on  this 
occasion,  considering  Samson  a  pub- 
lic enemy  whom  it  equally  concern- 
ed them  all  to  crush  if  possible. 
IT  Wherein  his  great  strength  lieth. 
Rather,  Heb.  '  whereby,  or  for  what 
cause,  his  strength  is  (so)  great' 
(bni^  IHD  n?2a.)  Perhaps  imagin- 
ing it  was  the  effect  of  some  charm, 
spell,  or  amulet,  which  he  carried 
about  with  him,  and  that  if  they  could 
get  possession  of  this,  they  would 
soon  have  him  in  their  power.  IT 
That  we  ma.y  bind  him  to  afflict  him. 
Or,  Heb.  '  to  humble,  to  depress,  to 
bring  him  low.'  They  do  not  say 
expressly  '  to  kill  him,'  though  this 
was  their  ultimate  intention,  but  they 


in  thy  great  strength  lieih,  and 
wherewith  thou  mightest  be 
bound  to  afflict  thee. 

7  And  Samson  said  unto  her, 
If  they  bind  me  with  seven  green 
withs,  that  were  never  dried, 
then  shall  I  be  weak,  and  be  as 
another  man. 

8  Then  the  lords  of  the  Phil- 


no  doubt  saw  that  the  plain  avowal 
of  such  a  bloody  purpose  would 
shock  too  much  whatever  feelings 
of  woman  yet  remained  in  the  bosom 
of  Delilah,  and  would  thus  defeat 
their  plan;  besides,  it  is  clear  from 
the  event  that  they  designed  by  a 
series  of  aggravated  insults  and  in- 
juries to  torture  and  break  down  his 
spirit,  and  thus  prolong  their  triumph 
before  putting  the  finishing  stroke  to 
it  in  his  death.  IT  Eleven  hundred 
pieces  of  silver.  These  pieces  of 
silver  were  probably  shekels,  and  the 
total  sum  according  to  our  computa- 
tion would  amount  to  upwards  of 
S2000,  a  vast  bribe  f:r  the  lime  and 
country. 

6.  Delilah  said  to  Samson,  Tell 
me,  &.C.  It  can  scarcely  be  supposed 
that  this  question  was  so  bluntly  and 
nakedly  propounded  as  here  stated, 
as  in  tiiat  case  her  treacherous  de- 
sign could  not  well  have  failed  to  be- 
tray itself.  It  is  the  general  usage 
of  the  sacred  writers  merely  to  give 
the  leading  incidents,  the  prominent 
outlines,  of  the  events  which  they  re^ 
late,  leaving  the  details  to  be  sup- 
plied by  the  reflection  of  the  reader. 
In  this  case  she  undoubtedly  plied  all 
her  arts  of  blandishment  and  persua- 
sion, and  by  taking  advantage  of  his 
yielding  moods,  and  expressing  her 
admiration  of  his  wonderful  exploits, 
aimed  to  throw  him  off  his  guard, 
and  thus  win  his  secret  from  him 
unawares.  But  as  yet  he  retained 
sufficient  self-possession  to  elude  her 
cunning. 

7.  //  they  bind  me  vnth  seven  green 
withs,  &c.  How  Samsons  veracity 
in  this  reply  is  to  be  vindicated,  wq 


A.  C.  1120.] 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


355 


istines  brought  up  to  her  seven 
green  withs,  which  had  not  been 
dried,  and  she  bound  him  with 
them. 

9  (Now  there  were  men  lying 
in  wait,  abiding  with  her  in  the 
chamber.)     And  she  said  unto 


know  not.  Probably  the  same  ob- 
tuseness  of  conscience  which  made 
him  insensible  to  the  guilt  of  one 
species  of  sin,  rendered  him  reckless 
of  another.  How  fearful  the  effects 
of  suffering  the  moral  sense  to  be 
deadened  by  a  single  case  of  willful 
transgression!  As  the  word  transla- 
ted '  withs'  (-irri  yeiher)  is  a  general 
word  for  rope  or  cord^  we  learn  by 
the  use  of  the  epithet  '  green,'  that 
the  ropes  in  use  among  the  Hebrews, 
like  those  employed  in  many  other 
countries  and  formed  of  osiers, 
hazles,  &c.,  were  made  of  crude  veg- 
etable materials,  such  as  vines,  ten- 
drils, pliable  twisted  rods,  or  the 
tough  fibres  of  trees.  AndJosephus 
expressly  says  that  the  ropes  with 
which  Samson  was  bound  were 
made  of  the  tendrils  of  the  vine. 
Such  ropes  are  still  used  in  the  East, 
and  while  they  remain  green  are 
stronger  than  any  other.  In  India 
the  legs  of  wild  elephants  and  buf- 
fuloes  newly  caught  are  commonly 
bound  with  bonds  of  this  sort ;  those 
of  hemp  and  flax  being  rarely  found 
there .  Except  some  that  are  formed 
of  hair  or  leather  they  are  gener- 
ally made  of  the  fibres  of  trees 
(particularly  of  the  palm  tree),  of 
roots,  of  grasses,  and  of  reeds  and 
rushes.  They  are  in  general  toler- 
ably strong,  but  in  no  degree  com- 
parable to  our  own  hempen  ropes. 
Though  light,  yet  wanting  in  com- 
pactness, they  are  much  thicker  than 
those  employed  by  us,  and  are  gen- 
erally rough  and  coarse  to  the  eye. 
The  Septuagint,  however,  by  trans- 
lating the  Hebrew  by  vcvpan  vypan, 
and  the  Vulgate  by  tierviceis  funibus, 
understand  these  bonds  to  be  cords 
made  of  the  sinews  of  cattle,  or  per- 
haps out  of  raw  hides,  which  ,make 


him,  The  Philistines  he  upon 
thee,  Samson.  And  he  brake 
the  withs  as  a  thread  of  tow  is 
broken  when  it  toucheth  the  fire. 
So  his  strength  was  not  known. 
10  And  Delilah  said  unto 
Samson,  Behold,  thou  hast  mock- 


exceedingly  strong  cords.  But  the 
objection  to  this  rendering  is,  that 
animal  sinews  or  hides  wheu 
'  green.'  i.  e.  humid,  recent,  have  less 
strength  than  when  throughly  dried. 
The  former  is  doubtless  the  true  in- 
terpretation. H  Be  as  another  man. 
Heb.  '  as  one  man,'  i.  e.  as  any  man. 

8.  And  she  bound  him  with  them. 
Perhaps  in  dalliance,  in  a  sportive 
way,  as  though  she  were  only  half 
in  earnest,  or  at  any  rate  wished 
only  to  gratify  her  own  curiosity, 
and  see  if  what  he  had  told  her  was 
true. 

9.  Now  there  were  men  hjing  in 
icait,  abiding  loith  her  in  the  chamber. 
Heb. '  and  the  Her  in  wait  (collect, 
sing,  for  plur.)  sal  for  her  in  an  in- 
ner apartment.'  Our  translation 
very  erroneously  represents  the  Hers 
in  wait  as  abiding  in  the  same  cham- 
ber where  she  and  Samson  now 
were;  but  if  so,  how  could  he  but 
have  been  aware  of  their  presence  7 
That  which  we  have  given  is  the 
true  rendering.  The  Heb.  nb  is 
not  '  with  her,'  but '  to  or  for  her,' 
i.  e.  subservient  to  her  designs.  H 
The  Philistines  be  upon  thee,  Samson. 
Are  at  hand  to  surprise  and  take 
thee ;  probably  the  concerted  signal 
for  the  men  lying  in  wait  to  rush  in- 
to the  room,  and  if  the  experiment 
succeeded,  and  his  limbs  were  effect 
tually  manacledj  to  make  him  pri- 
soner at  once.  IT  When  it  toucheth 
the  fire.  Heb. '  when  it  smelleth  the 
fire ;'  i.  e,  when  it  perceiveth,  feel- 
eth,  or  hath  a  sensation  of  the  fire; 
metaphorically  spoken.  The  use  of 
the  term  '  smell'  in  this  sense  in 
the  Hebrew  is  somewhat  peculiar. 
Thus  Job,  14.  9,  speaking  of  a  tree 
cut  down, '  Yet  through  the  scent  of 
water  it  will  bud:'  i.  e,  through  the 


356 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1120. 


ed  me  and  told  me  lies :  now 
tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  wherewith 
thou  mightest  be  bound. 

11  And  he  said  unto  her,  If 
they  bind  me  fast  with  new 
ropes  that  never  were  occupied, 
then  shall  I  be  weak,  and  be  as 
another  man, 

;  1*2  Delilali  therefore  took  new 
ropes,  and  bound  him  therewith, 
and  said  unto  him,  The  Philis- 
tines he  upon  thee,  Samson. 
(And  there  were  Hers  in  wait 
abiding  in  the  chamber.)  And 
he  brake  them  from  off  his  arms 
like  a  thread. 


perception  of  water.  Ps.  59.  9,  '  Be- 
fore your  pots  can  feel  the  thorns.' 
Heb.  can  smell  the  thorns.  Dan.  3. 
27, '  Neither  were  their  coats  chang- 
ed, nor  the  smell  of  fire  had  passed 
on  them ;'  i.  e.  the  feeling,  the  per- 
ception of  fire. 

10.  And  Delilah  said  unto  Samson, 
&c.  After  the  lapse  of  some  con- 
siderable lime,  when  she  saw  that 
her  blandishments  had  given  her  an 
advantage  over  him;  lor  to  renew 
the  attempt  to  worm  out  of  him  his 
secret,  immediately  after  her  failure 
would  of  course  have  been  bad  po- 
licy. 

11.  If  they  bind  me  fast  with  new 
ropes.  Heb.  a'in35>  from  ^y$  to 
wreathe,  braid,  twist  together,  to  make 
thick  by  wreathing,  and  implying 
ropes  or  cords  of  the  thickest  and 
strongest  description,  probably  ans- 
wering nearly  to  the  idea  of  our 
modern  cables.  The  material,  how- 
ever, may  have  been  the  same  with 
that  of  the  Qi'in"*  mentioned  above. 
IT  That  never  were  occupied.  Heb. 
*  wherewith  work  hath  not  been 
done.' 

13.  The  seven  locks  of  my  head. 
Heb.  *  the  seven  braids  or  plaits  ;'  in- 
to which  probably  the  hair  of  Sam- 
son was  braided.  As  seven,  how- 
ever, is  a  usual  term  in  the  Scrip- 


13  And  Delilah  said  unto 
Samson,  Hitherto  thou  hast 
mocked  me,  and  told  me  lies  : 
tell  me  wherewith  thou  mightest 
be  bound.  And  he  said  unto 
her.  If  thou  weavest  the  seven 
locks  of  my  head  with  the  web. 

14  And  she  fastened  it  with 
the  pin,  and  said  unto  him,  The 
Phihstines  be  upon  thee,  Samson. 
And  he  awaked  out  of  his  sleep, 
and  went  away  with  the  pin  of 
the  beam,  and  with  the  web. 

15  IF  And  she  said  unto  him, 
=How  canst  thou  say,  I  love 
thee,   when   thine   heart  is  not 


tures  for  completness  ox  universality, 
it  may  here  be  equivalent  simply  to 
'  all  my  locks.'  His  strength,  he  tells 
her,  would  be  weakened  if  these  were 
interwoven  with  the  warp  which 
was  in  a  loom  hard  by,  perhaps  in 
the  same  room ;  which  might  be  the 
place  where  Delilah  used  to  weave. 
This  verse  seems  to  end  abruptly, 
but  the  supplementary  clause, '  Then 
shall  I  be  like  another  man,'  is  easily 
supplied  from  the  context. 

14.  And  she  fastened  it  with  the  pin. 
Rather,  she  fastened  it  with  a  pin. 
Heb.  nn*'3  "pnn.  Both  the  origi- 
nal words  occur  in  the  account  of 
Jael's  driving  (jjpnn)  the^i7i(Tn'^n) 
into  Sisera's  temples,  and  the  prob- 
ability is,  that  the  web,  with  Sam- 
son's lock  interwoven,  was  in  some 
way  secured  by  being  fixed  to  a 
strong  pin  which  was  driven  either 
into  the  ground  or  into  the  wall,  as 
the  Septuagint  understands  it.  Or 
rather,  as  the  looms  at  that  period 
were  very  simple,  the  words  may 
import  that  the  loom  itself  was  more 
firmly  secured  by  means  of  the  pin 
driven  into  the  ground.  IT  With 
the  pin  of  the  beam,  &c.  But  what 
was  '  the  pin  of  the  beam  T  No  in- 
telligible sense  is  afforded  by  the 
phrase,  nor  from  our  ignorance  of 
the  exact  structure  of  the  ancient 


A>  C.  1120.] 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


357 


with  me?  Thou  hast  mocked 
me  these  three  times,  and  hast 
not  told  me  wherein  thy  great 
strength  lieth. 

loom  is  it  perhaps  possible  to  assign 
one.  The  literal  rendering  of  the 
original  seems  to  be, '  He  went  away 
with  the  pin,  the  weaving  imple- 
ments, and  the  web ;'  in  other  words, 
he  took'  away  the  whole  apparatus 
together.  We  doubt  if  any  thing 
more  definite  can  be  elicited  from  the 
words. 

15.  Wlieii  ihine  heart  is  not  with, 
me.  When  thou  dost  not  lay  open 
thy  heart  to  me;  when  thou  canst 
not  trust  me  with  its  secrets.  An 
important  practical  truth  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  this  remonstrance  of 
Delilah.  It  is  true,  that  '  they  only 
have  our  love,  who  have  our  hearts  5' 
and  the  remark  holds  eminently  in 
regard  to  love  to  God.  If  we  pro- 
fess to  love  Him  while  the  warmth 
of  our  affection  is  Avithholden,  and  a 
cold  reserve  takes  the  place  of  that 
free,  filial,  and  unreserved  inter- 
course which  is  the  privilege  of  his 
people,  what  is  to  be  inferred  from 
It,  but  that  we  are  deceiving  our- 
selves with  an  empty  show"?  His  de- 
mand is, '  My  son  give  me  thy  heart.' 

16,  17.  When  she  pressed  him  daily 
— he  told  her  all  his  heart.  Alas! 
how  are  the  mighty  fallen  !  What 
an  affecting  exhibition  of  the  weak- 
ness of  human  nature  even  in  its 
best  estate.  Well  could  Samson  now 
adopt  the  language  of  Solomon  ; — '  I 
find  more  bitter  than  death  the  wo- 
man whose  heart  is  snares  and  nets, 
and  her  hands  are  bands :  whoso 
pleaseth  God  shall  escape  from  her ; 
but  the  sinner  shall  be  taken  by  her.' 
Wearied  out  by  the  ceaseless  up- 
braidings  of  hisVile  paramour,  and 
enslaved  by  the  violence  of  his  pas- 
sion, the  fatal  secret  is  at  length  ex- 
torted from  him,  and  the  mighty 
Nazarite  remains  scarcely  a  common 
man !  So  perfectly  captivated  and 
intoxicated  had  he  become,  notwith- 
standing repeated  warnings,  by  the 
vehemence  of  his    affection,    that, 

bl 


16  And  it  cam^i  to  pass  when 
she  pressed  him  daily  with  her 
words,  and  urged  him,  so  that 
his  soul  was  vexed  unto  death  ; 


'  like  the  silly  dove  without  heart,' 
he  rushed  upon  his  ruin !  Had  he 
not  been  completely  infatuated,  he 
would  have  seen  before  that  no  alter- 
native remained  to  him  but  to  break 
away  at  once  and  at  all  hazards  from 
the  enchantress,  and  quit  the  field 
where  it  was  so  evident  that  he  could 
not  keep  his  ground.  But  no  chains 
are  stronger  than  those  woven  by 
illicit  love,  and  with  him  who  be- 
comes their  prisoner,  reputation,  life, 
usefulness,  yea,  even  God's  glory, 
and  the  salvation  of  the  soul,  are  put 
to  peril  in  obedience  to  its  unhal- 
lowed dictates.  But  the  righteous 
judgment  of  God  is  not  to  be  over- 
looked in  this  fearful  fall  of  the 
champion  of  Israel.  Having  so  long 
presumptuously  played  with  his  ruin, 
Heaven  leaves  him  to  himself  as  a 
punishment  for  his  former  guilty  in- 
dulgence. He  is  made  to  reap  as  he 
had  sown,  and  consigned  to  the 
hands  of  his  enemies  for  '  the  de- 
struction of  the  flesh  that  the  spirit 
might  be  saved  in  the  day  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.'  But  it  becomes  not  us 
to  exult  over  the  apostacy  of  the 
fallen.  'We  wonder  that  a  man 
could  possibly  be  so  sottish,  and  yet 
we  ourselves  by  temptation  become 
no  less  insensate.  Sinful  pleasures, 
like  a  common  Delilah,  lodge  in  our 
bosoms ;  we  know  they  aim  at  no- 
thing but  the  death  of  bur  soul ;  we 
will  yield  to  them  and  die.  Every 
willing  sinner  is  a  Samson;  let  us 
not  inveigh  against  his  senseless- 
ness, but  our  own :  nothing  is  so  gross 
and  unreasonable  to  a  well-disposed 
mind,  which  temptation  will  not  re- 
present fit  and  plausible.  No  soul 
can,  out  of  his  own  strength,  secure 
himself  from  that  sin  which  he  most 
detesteth.'  Bp.  Hall.  Let  us  learn 
hence,  (1.)  That  fidelity  is  never  to 
be  expected  from  those  who  show  an 
utter  unfaithfulness  to  God,  and  have 
stifled  and  triumphed  over  the  in- 


358 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1120. 


17  That  he  ^told  her  all  his 
heart,  and  said  unto  her,  *There 
hath  not  come  a  razor  upon  my 
head  ;  for  I  have  been  a  Nazarite 
unto  God  from  my  mother's 
womb  :  if  I  be  shaven,  then  my 
strength  will  go  from  me,  and  I 
shall  become  weak,  and  be  like 
any  other  man. 

18  And  when  Delilah  saw 
that  he  had  told  her  all  his  heart, 

d  Mic.  7.  5.         e  Num.  6.  5.      cli.  13  5. 

ward  warning  voice  of  conscience, 
(2.)  That  when  the  heart  is  infatua- 
ted by  unlawful  desire,  repeated 
warnings  of  danger  will  be  disre- 
garded. (3.)  That  they  who  feel 
themselves  unable  to  resist  the  im- 
portunity of  their  tempters  should  in- 
stantly fly  from  their  dangerous  pre- 
sence. IT  /  have  been  a  Nazarite 
unto  God  from  my  mother's,  wovib. 
What  a  confession  to  be  made  in  the 
lap  of  a  vile  Delilah  !  What  a  com- 
mentary upon  his  words  was  afforded 
by  his  present  condition !  Strange 
that  the  utterance  of  a  sentence  be- 
traying such  a  glaring  inconsistency 
in  his  conduct  should  not  have  awak- 
ened him  from  the  spell  by  which  he 
was  bound,  and  made  him  break 
away  with  his  secret  but  half  divulg- 
ed !  Strange,  that  when  his  own 
voice  thus  pronounced  his  condem- 
nation he  should  have  remained  as 
insensible  as  the  nether  mill-stone! 
IT  If  I  be  shaven^  then  my  strength  will 
go  from  me,  &c.  Not  that  his  strength 
lay  in  his  hair,  for  this  in  fact  had 
no  natural  influence  upon  it,  one 
way  or  the  other.  His  strength 
arose  from  his  peculiar  relation  to 
God  as  a  Nazarite,  and  the  preserva- 
tion of  his  hair  unshaven  or  unshorn 
was  the  mark  or  sign  of  his  Naza- 
riteship,  and  o.  pledge  on  the  part  of 
God  of  the  continuance  of  his  mirac- 
ulous physical  powers.  If  he  lost 
this  sign,  the  badge  of  his  consecra- 
tion, he  broke  his  vow,  and  conse- 
quently forfeited  the  thing  signified. 
God  abandoned  him,  and  he  was 


she  sent  and  called  for  the  lords 
of  the  Philistines,  saying.  Come 
up  this  once,  for  he  hath  shewed 
me  all  his  heart.  Then  the 
lords  of  the  Philistines  came  up 
unto  her,  and  brought  money  in 
their  hand. 

19  *^And  she  made  him  sleep 
upon  her  knees  ;  and  she  called 
for  a  man,  and  she  caused  him 
to  shave  off  the  seven  locks  of 


f  Prov.  7.  26.  27. 


thenceforward  no  more,  in  this 
respect,  than  a  common  man ;  at 
least  was  deprived  of  supernatural 
strength. 

18.  When  Delilah  saio^&LC.  When 
she  became  satisfied  by  the  serious 
tone  in  which  he  spake,  and  by  the 
various  tokens  to  be  read  in  his  coun- 
tenance, air,  general  manner,  &c., 
that  he  had  told  her  the  truth. 

19.  Made  him  sleep  upon  her  knees. 
A  custom  very  common  in  the  East. 
'  It  is  very  amusing  to  see  a  full- 
grown  son,  or  a  husband,  asleep  on 
his  mother's  or  wife's  knees.  The 
plan  is  as  follows :  the  female  sits 
cross-legged  on  the  carpet  or  mat, 
and  the  man  having  laid  himself 
down,  puts  his  head  in  her  lap,  and 
she  gently  taps,  strokes,  sings,  and 
soothes  him  to  sleep.' — Roberts.  IT 
Caused  him  to  shave  off.  Heb. 
'shaved  off;'  that  is,  by  the  agency 
of  another,  as  well  rendered  in  our 
common  version.  That  a  man 
should  be  able  not  only  to  cut,  but  to 
shave  off  the  hair,  on  which,  during 
all  Samson's  life,  razor  had  never 
before  come,  implies  either  that  Sam- 
son slept  very  soundly,  or  that  the 
man  was  very  dexterous  in  his  craft. 
In  fact  the  Oriental  barbers  do  their 
work  with  so  much  ease,  as  to  render 
the  shaving  of  the  head  (the  head  is 
usually  shaven  in  the  East)  rather 
grateful  than  unpleasant.  The  most 
delicate  sleeper  would  scarcely  be 
awakened  by  it ;  and  even  those  who 
are  awake  are  scarcely  sen.sible  of 
the  operation  which  they  are  under- 


A.  C.  1130.] 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


359 


his  head  ;  and  she  began  to  af- 
flict him,  and  his  strength  went 
from  him. 

20  And  she  said,  The  Phihs- 
tines  he  upon  thee,  Samson.  And 
he  awoke  out  of  his  sleep,  and 
said,  I  will  go  out  as  at  other 


going,  {Pict.  Bible.)  TT  Began 
to  afflict  him.  That  is,  from  this  act 
of  hers  commenced  that  series  of  in- 
sults, injuries,  and  humiliations, 
which  his  enemies  had  before  v.  5, 
announced  their  intention  to  bring 
upon  him.  He  had  hitherto  sported 
thoughtlessly  upon  the  brink  of  the 
precipice  of  degradation  and  ruin, 
and  now  his  fall  can  no  longer  be  de- 
layed. As  the  next  step  in  his  down- 
ward career  his  miraculous  strength 
forsakes  him.  IT  Hissircngthweyit 
frovi  him.  Having  now  violated  the 
conditions  of  his  Nazarite  vow,  on 
which  it  depended.  '  He  that  sleeps 
in  sin  must  look  to  wake  in  loss  and 
weakness.'     Bp.  Hall. 

20.  Aiooke  out  of  his  sleep,  and 
said.  That  is,  said  to  himself, 
thought,  resolved.  IT  Will  go  out 
— and  shake  myself.  Shake  myself 
free  from  the  fetters  with  which  I 
am  bound,  and  rid  inyself  of  the  en- 
emies that  would  be  upon  me.  It  is 
not  indeed  expressly  stated  that  he 
was  bound  at  this  time,  but  the  pro- 
bability is  that  such  was  the  case, 
that  Delilah  had  slyly  tied  his  hands 
while  he  was  asleep.  IT  Wist  not 
that  the  Lord  was  departed  from  him. 
Being  newly  awakened  out  of  sleep 
he  knew  not  that  his  head  had  been 
shaven  of  its  locks,  and  therefore  did 
not  suspect  that  God  had  wi'hdrawn 
his  special  influences  from  him. 
This  circumstance  may  serve  as  a 
striking  illustration  of  what  often 
happens  to  those  who  have  provoked 
God  by  their  transgressions.  By  a 
righteous  dereliction  he  leaves  them ; 
he  withdraws  his  favorable  presence ; 
and  yet  like  Samson  they  are  not 
aware  of  the  desertion.  They  feel 
not  the  loss  they  have  sustained ;  at 


times  before,  and  shake  myself. 
And  he  wist  not  that  the  Lord 
swas  departed  from  him, 

21  IT  But  the  Philistines  took 
him,  and  put  out  his  eyes,  and 
brought  him  down  to  Gaza,  and 
bound  him  with  fetters  of  brass  ; 

gNura.  14  9,  42,  43.  Jo5h  1.  12.  I  Sara.  16.  14' 
&  18.  12.  &28    15,  16.     2Chroii.  15  2. 

least  till  they  begin  to  be  sensible  by 
frustrated  schemes  and  adverse 
providences  that  it  is  not  with  them 
as  in  days  that  are  past.  Though 
their  souls  languish  and  grow  weak, 
and  their  gifts  as  well  as  their  graces 
wither,  and  others  perceive  their 
spiritual  decline,  yet  a  strange  delu- 
sion is  upon  them ;  they  know  not 
their  real  state;  they  fancy  them- 
selves in  health  and  prosperity  when 
the  sources  of  both  are  effectually 
undermined  within  them.  'God  is 
departed  from  him'  expresses  one  of 
the  most  fearful  forms  of  the  divine 
judgments. 

21.  Put  out  his  eyes.  Heb.  '  bored 
out.'  '  With  the  Greeks  and  Asia- 
tics, the  way  of  putting  out  the  eyes, 
or  blinding,  was  not  (always)  by 
pulling  or  cutting  out  the  eyes,  as 
some  have  imagined ;  but  by  draw- 
ing, or  holding  a  red-hot  iron  before 
them.  This  method  is  still  in  use 
in  Asia.  According  to  Chardin, 
however,  the  pupils  of  the  eyes  were 
more  frequently  pierced  and  destroy- 
ed on  such  occasions.  But  The- 
venot  says,  '  that  the  eyes  in  these 
barbarous  acts  are  taken  out  whole, 
with  the  point  of  a  dagger,  and  car- 
ried to  the  king  in  a  basin.'  He 
adds,  that,  '  as  the  king  sends  whom 
he  pleases  to  do  that  cruel  office, 
some  princes  are  so  butchered  by  un- 
skilful hands,  that  it  costs  them 'their 
lives.'  In  Persia  it  is  no  unusual 
practice  for  the  king  to  punish  a  re- 
bellious city  or  province  by  exacting 
so  many  pounds  of  eyes;  and  his 
executioners  accordingly  go  and 
scoop  out  from  every  one  they  meet, 
till  they  have  the  weight  required.' — 
Burder.  Thus  was  the  lust  of  the 
eye  in  Ipoking  after  ajid  gazing  upon 


JUDGES 


[A.  C.  1120. 


and  he  did  grind  in  the  prison- 
house. 

22  Howbeit  the  hair   of  his 

strange  women  punished.  The  of- 
fending organ  that  he  had  refused  to 
pluck  out  was  in  effect  plucked  out 
for  him  in  the  righteous  providence 
of  God.  IF  Bound  him  with  fetters 
of  brass.  A  proof  that  iron,  though 
now  well  known,  had  not  yet  come 
into  general  use ;  as  otherwise  we 
should  doubtless  have  found  Samson 
bound  with  fetters  of  that  material. 
The  emphasis  here  is  not  on  brass, 
as  distinguished  from  any  other 
metal ;  but  to  show  that  his  fetters 
were  of  metal,  and  that  he  was  not, 
like  the  common  class  of  offenders, 
bound  with  ropes  or  thongs  of  leath- 
er. IT  He  did  grind  in  the  prison- 
house.  Of  course  with  mill-stones 
worked  by  the  hands,  this  being  still 
the  usual  method  of  grinding  corn  in 
the  East.  It  is  an  employment,  how- 
ever, which  usually  devolves  on  wo- 
men; and  to  assign  it  to  such  a  man 
as  Samson  was  doubtless  with  a  view 
to  reduce  him  to  the  lowest  state  of 
degradation  and  dishonor.  To  grind 
com  for  others  was,  even  for  a  wo- 
man, a  proverbial  term  expressing 
themost  degraded  and  oppressedcon- 
dition;  and  how  much  more  for 
Samson,  who  seems  to  have  been 
made  grinder-general  for  the  prison- 
house. 

'  Ask  for  this  great  deliverpr  now,  and  find  him 
Eyeless  at  Guia,  at  the  mill  wiih  slaves.' 

MUton. 

The  champion  and  avenger  of  Israel 
is  now  become  the  drudge  and  the 
sport  of  the  Philistines.  The  crown 
is  fallen  from  his  head,  and  his  honor 
laid  in  the  dust.  We  are  ready  to 
pity  the  degraded  judge  of  Israel, 
when  we  see  him  reduced  to  such  a 
state  of  misery  by  his  enemies;  but 
while  we  pity  the  vian,  Ave  congrat- 
ulate the  sinner,  to  whose  final  sal- 
vation these  heavy  trials  were  made 
subservient.  Let  us  not  however 
lose  sight  of  the  solemn  lesson  which 
his  misery  teaches  us.  What  a 
warning  to  those  who  '  yield  their 


head  began  to  grow  again  after 
he  was  shaven. 

23    Then    the   lords    of   the 


members  instruments  of  iniquity.' 
They  will  find  their  bondage  biuer 
and  unbearable  when  they  are  final- 
ly bound  with  the  chains  which  their 
sins  have  forged  for  them. 

22.  The  hair  of  his  head  began  to 
grovj  again,  after  he  ivas  shaven. 
Rather,  Heb.  'according  as  it  had 
been  shaved  ;'  i.e.  in  ihe  same  pro- 
portions as  it  had  been  cut  off.  This 
circumstance,  though  in  itself  incon- 
siderable, is  mentioned  by  way  of 
suitable  preface  to  what  follows. 
The  letting  the  hair  grow  was  a 
prominent  circumstance  in  the  con- 
dition of  a  Nazarite;  and  the  extra- 
ordinary strength  of  Samson  was  not 
a  matter  of  thews  and  sinews,  but 
was  conferred  upon  him  as  a  special 
gift  of  God,  on  condition  of  his  re- 
maining in  the  state  of  Nazariteship. 
The  loss  of  his  hair  did  not  in  itself 
deprive  him  of  strength  ;  but  the  loss 
of  his  hair  involved  ihe  loss  of  his 
strength,  because  it  took  from  him 
the  condition  of  a  Nazarite,  with 
which  his  extraordinary  physical 
powers  were  inseparably  connected. 
Accordingly  when  we  find  him 
again  growing  strong  after  the  re- 
newed growth  of  his  hair,  we  are 
bound  to  believe  that  it  was  not  be- 
cause his  hair  grew ;  but  because  he 
repented  of  his  past  misconduct. 
God  was  pleased,  therefore,  having- 
hereby  become  leconciled  to  his  of- 
fending servant,  to  accept  the  re- 
newal of  his  vow  of  Nazariteship, 
including  the  consecration  of  his 
hair,  and  in  consequence  of  that  ac- 
ceptance re-invested  him,  as  his  hair 
grew,  with  the  powers  which  he  had 
before  lost.  In  the  language  of  Bp. 
Hall,  'his  hair  grew  together  with 
his  repentance,  and  his  strength  with 
his  hair.'  The  practical  reflections 
of  the  same  writer  on  this  part  of 
Samson's  historyare  equally  striking 
and  just.  '  It  is  better  for  Samson  to 
be  blind  in  prison,  than  to  abuse  his 
eyes  in  Sorek;   yea,  I  may  safely 


A.  C.  1120.] 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


361 


Philistines  gathered  them  togeth- 
er, for  to  offer  a  great  sacrifice 
unto  Dagon  their  god,  and  to 
rejoice  :  for  they  said.  Our  god 
hath  delivered  Sannson  our  ene- 
my  into  our  hand. 

24  And  when  the  people  saw 
him,  they  i^praised  their  god: 
for  they  said,  Our  god  hath  de- 
livered  into  ou  r  hands  our  enemy, 
and  the  destroyer  of  our  coun- 
try ;   which  slew  many  of  us. 

25  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
their   hearts   were    'merry,  that 

h  Dau.  5.  4.  i  ch.  9.  ?7. 

say,  he  was  more  blind  when  he  saw 
licentiously,  than  now  that  he  sees 
not;  he  was  a  greater  slave  when  he 
served  his  affections,  than  now  in 
grinding  for  the  Philistines.  The 
loss  of  his  eyes  shows  him  his  sin, 
neither  could  he  see  how  ill  he  had 
done  till  he  saw  not.'     Bp.  Hall. 

23.  Trie  lords  of  the  Philistines 
gathered  them  together^  &c.  This 
great  festival  scene  had  evidently 
been  some  time  delayed,  as  appears 
from  the  fact  of  Samson's  hair 
having  had  time  to  grow  in  the  in- 
terval ;  but  perhaps  the  necessary 
preparations  for  so  grand  an  occa- 
sion consumed  considerable  time,  or 
it  miy  have  been  the  second  anni- 
versary of  the  deliverance  of  their 
enemy  into  their  hands.  If  Unto 
Dason  their  god.  A  deity  of  the 
Philistines  generally  represented  as 
having  the  head  and  upper  parts  hu- 
man, while  the  rest  of  the  body  re- 
sembled a  fish.  It  was  called  Der- 
ceto  among  the  heathens,  though  the 
Heb.  word  '  Dagon'  comes  from 
'  Dag'  afish.  The  Philistines  living 
on  the  sea  coast,  they  had  a  sea- 
idol.  IT  Our  god  hath  delivered, 
&c.  Though  they  knew  that  he  was 
betrayed  into  their  hands  by  Delilah, 
yet  they  foolishly  attribute  it  to  their 
god.  The  circumstance  however 
affords  a  hint  worth  taking.  If  even 
a  Philistine  ascribes  his  victories  to 
31* 


they  said,  Call  for  Samson  that 
he  may  make  us  sport.  And 
they  called  for  Samson  out  of 
the  prison-house ;  and  he  made 
them  sport :  and  they  set  him 
between  the  pillars. 

26  And  Samson  said  unto 
the  lad  that  held  him  by  the 
hand,  Suffer  me  that  I  may  feel 
the  pillars  whereupon  the  house 
standeth,  that  1  may  lean  upon 
them. 

27  Now  the  house  was  full 
of  men  and  women  :  and  all  the 


his  idol  gods,  how  much  more  are 
we  bound  to  pay  a  similar  tribute  to 
our  God,  and  give  him  the  glory  of 
every  great  and  good  work  done  by 
us,  in  us,  or  for  us.  IT  Which  slew 
many  of  us.  Heb. '  which  multiplied 
our  slain.' 

25.  When  their  hearts  loere  merry. 
Heb. '  when  their  hearts  were  good.' 
A  parallel  usage  occurs  Ruth,  3.  7. 
1  Sam.  25.  3G,  and  elsewhere.  H 
That  he  may  make  us  sport.  That 
is,  passively,  that  he  may  be  a  sub- 
ject of  sport  and  merriment  to  us; 
that  we  may  make  ourselves  merry 
at  his  expense.  It  is  quite  improb- 
able, we  think,  that  Samson,  a  poor 
blind  prisoner,  should  be  required 
actively  to  engage  in  any  thing  that 
should  make  sport  to  his  enemies. 
The  idea  doubtless  is  simply,  that  he 
should  be  brought  out  to  become  a 
laughing-stock  to  them,  a  butt  for 
their  scoffs,  mockeries,  and  insults. 
Accordingly  the  Sept.  version  of 
the  next  clause  has,  '  And  they  buf- 
feted him ;'  and  Josephus  says,  he 
was  brought  out,  '  that  they  might 
insult  him  in  their  cups.'  But  their 
triumphing  was  short,  and  their  joy 
but  for  a  moment.  '  Nothing  fills 
the  measure  of  the  iniquity  of  any 
person,  or  people  faster  than  mock- 
ing or  misusing  the  servants  of  God, 
yea,  though  it  is  by  their  own  folly 
that  they  are  brought  low.    Those 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1120. 


lords  of  the  Philistines  t^cre  there  ; 
and  there  were  upon  the  •'roof 
about  three  thousand  men  and 
women,  that  beheld  while  Sam- 
son made  sport. 


know  not  what  they  do,  nor  whom 
they  affront,  that  make  sport  with  a 
good  man.'    Henry. 

27.   Upon  the  roof  about  three  thou- 
sand men  and  ivoyn'en.    The  house  or 
temple  itself  was  full  of  the  princi- 
pal people  below  ;  while  about  three 
thousand,  probably  of  the  lower  or- 
ders, had  stationed  themselves  upon 
the  roof,  the  roofs  of  eastern  build- 
ings, as  is  well  known,  being  gener- 
ally flat.     In  ansM'er  to  the  question, 
Howthis  large  number  of  persons  on 
the   roof  could  have  seen  Samson 
while  made  the  subject  of  mirth  be- 
low 1 — it  may  be  remarked,  that  we 
are  to  form  our  ideas  of  the  scene 
from  the  style  of  building  common  to 
the  East.  The  edifice  in  question  un- 
doubtedly formed  a  part  of  a  quad- 
rangular pile  of  buildings  and  walls, 
having  a  court  or  area  in  the  centre, 
where  Samson  might  be   exhibited 
with    ease  to  the  whole  assembled 
multitude.     The  principal  building 
in  such  structures  generally  occu- 
pies that  side  of  the  inclosure  which 
faces  the  entrance,  and  is  advanced 
considerably  out  of  the  line  of  the 
square.      It  is,  moreover,  usually 
constructed  Mnth  an   open  front  to 
afford  a  clear  view  of  what  is  going 
on  in  the  court,  having  curtains  to 
be  drawn  up  or  let  down  at  pleasure, 
and  supported  by  two  or  more  pillars 
either  in  the  front  or  in  the  centre. 
Samson  probably  after  having  been 
for    some  time  paraded  about  the 
area,  where  every  one  could  see  him, 
requested  to  be  conducted  within  the 
part  of  the  edifice  now  described, 
that  he  might  rest  himself  against 
its  pillars,  see  on  v.  29. 

28.  Samson  called  unto  the  Lord, 
and  said,  &c.  It  is  scarcely  to  be 
presumed  that  this  prayer  was  ut- 
tered audibly.  It  was  rather,  we 
may  suppose,   a    mental  petition, 


28  And  Samson  called  unto 
the  Lord,  and  said,  0  Lord  God, 
1  remember  me,  I  pray  thee,  and 
strengthen  me,  I  pray  thee,  only 
this  once,  O  God,  that  I  may  be 


1  Jer.  15.  15. 


breathed  forth  from  the  depths  of  a 
broken  heart,  where  godly  sorrow 
had  been  doing  its  perfect  work. 
But  though  the  voice  of  his  prayer 
was  not  heard  of  man,  yet  it  was 
graciously  heard  and  answered  of 
God,  and  though  he  himself  did  not 
live  to  recite  or  record  it,  yet  God, 
by  revealing  it  to  the  inspired  pen- 
man, provided  for  its  being  register- 
ed for  ihe  benefit  of  the  church. 
Whether  it  is  to  be  considered  as 
embracing  all  that  he  inwardly  ut- 
tered, or  merely  the  general  drift, 
the  substance  of  it,  is  uncertain; 
probably  the  latter,  according  to 
prevailing  usage  in  the  Scripture 
style  of  narration.  By  praying  that 
God  would  once  more  remember 
and  strengthen  him,  he  virtually  ac- 
knowledged that  all  the  wonderful 
exploits  he  had  hitherto  performed 
were  owing  to  a  strength  given  him 
from  above,  and  that  he  would  be 
powerless  for  the  present  achieve- 
ment unless  the  same  divine  aid  were 
granted  him.  True  it  is,  if  we  regard 
the  bare  letter  of  his  petition,  it  has 
the  air  of  being  prompted  mainly  by 
a  spirit  of  revenge  ;  but  from  God's 
accepting  and  answering  the  prayer, 
ii  cannot  be  doubted,  that  he  looked 
upon  himself  in  this  transaction,  not 
as  a  private  but  as  a  public  person, 
extraordinarily  called  to  be  the  in- 
strument of  a  signal  act  of  vengeance 
to  the  enemies  of  Israel  and  of  God. 
The  indignities  heaped  upon  him- 
self had  indeed  been  great  and  griev- 
ous, and  such  as  would  be  in  fact 
worthily  punished  in  the  catastrophe 
which  he  meditated.  But  this  was 
not  his  leading  motive.  The  con- 
sideration of  his  personal  sufferings 
was  merged  in  a  holy  zeal  for  the 
Lord  of  hosts,  the  vindication  of 
whose  glory  was  of  infinitely  more 
consequence  than  the  avengement 


A.  C.  1120.] 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


363 


at  once  avenged  of  the  Philistines 
for  my  two  eyes. 

29  And  Samson  took  hold  of 
the  two  middle  pillars  upon 
which  the  house  stood,  and  on 
which  it  was  borne  up,  of  the 

of  his  own  wrongs.  In  putting  out 
his  eyes,  they  had  '  touched  the 
apple'  of  God's  eye,  and  this  was  not 
to  be  done  with  impunity.  Under 
the  influence  of  this  feeling,  combin- 
ed with  the  consciousness  that  his 
own  past  misconduct  would  be  no 
more  than  justly  visited  by  a  painful 
end,  he  cheerfully  devotes  himself 
to  death. 

29.  Took  hold  of  the  two  middle 
pillars  upon  vjhich  the  house  stood. 
To  this  it  has  been  objected,  How 
could  a  roof  capable  of  accommoda- 
ting three  thousand  persons  be  sup- 
ported upon  tioo  pillars'?  But  it  is 
not  said  that  there  were  no  more 
than  two.  There  might  have  been 
several  others  not  standing  in  the 
middle  or  central  part  of  the  build- 
ing, which  contributed  to  the  support 
of  the  roof,  when  at  the  same  time 
the  removal  of  the  two  in  question, 
would,  more  than  all  the  rest,  endan- 
ger the  fall  of  the  whole  edifice. 
The  celebrated  architect  Sir  Chris- 
topher Wren  says,  that  in  consider- 
ing what  kind  of  fabric  it  must  be 
that  could  with  one  pull  be  demolish- 
ed, he  conceived  to  himself  a  vast 
roof  of  cedar  beams  resting  at  one 
end  upon  the  walls,  and  centering  at 
the  other  upon  one  short  architrave 
that  united  two  cedar  pillars  in  the 
middle.  '  One  pillar  would  not  be 
sufficient  to  unite  the  ends  of  at  least 
one  hundred  beams  that  tended  to 
the  centre ;  therefore,  I  say,  there 
must  hav«  been  a  short  architrave 
resting  upon  two  pillars,  upon  which 
all  the  beams  tending  to  the  centre 
might  be  supported.  Now  if  Sam- 
son, by  his  miraculous  strength 
pressing  on  one  (or  both)  these  pil- 
lars, moved  ii  from  its  basis,  the 
whole  roof  must  of  necessity  fall.' 
iHewkWs  Bible.)        H  On  which  it 


one  with  his  right  hand,  and  of 
the  other  with  his  left. 

30  And  Samson  said,  Let  me 
die  with  the  Philistines.  And 
he  bowed  himself  with  all  his 
might ;  and  the  house  fell  upoH 


was  borne  up.  This  idea  had  been 
already  expressed  in  the  words  im- 
mediately preceding,  nor  does  the 
original  so  M'ell  admit  this  render- 
ing. The  Heb.  firT^^y  "j?20'^l  may 
we  think  be  more  correctly  trans- 
lated, '  he  leaned  or  stayed  himself 
upon  them.' 

30.  Let  me  die.  I  am  content  to 
die,  if  the  glory  of  God  requires  it ; 
as  at  once  a  suitable  punishment  to 
me,  and  means  of  judgment  to  the 
Philistines.  Heb.  '  let  my  soul  die;' 
i.  e.  according  to  Hebrew  usage,  let 
my  life  become  extinct.  As  to  his 
'  soul,'  as  we  understand  the  terra, 
he  would  of  course  pray  that  that 
might  live.  Samson's  death  is  no 
warrant  for  suicide,  as  it  does  not 
appear  that  he  directly  sought  it,  or 
designed  to  bring  it  about  any  far- 
ther than  as  it  might  be  the  inevit- 
able consequence  of  destroying  so 
many  of  the  enemies  of  his  people. 
He  may  be  considered  therefore  as 
having  perished  in  the  same  way  as 
if  he  had  fallen  in  battle  like  Josiah, 
2  Chron.  36.  23,  34,  resisting  the  in- 
vaders of  his  country.  ^He  bowed 
himself  with  all  his  might,  and  the 
house  fell,  &c.  With  arms  extended 
he  grasps  the  massy  pillars,  and  feel- 
ing an  answer  to  his  prayer  in  the 
renewed  strength  bestowed  upon 
him,  he  bends  himself  forward  with 
all  his  force;  the  pillars  rock,  the 
building  totters,  the  roof  encumber- 
ed with  the  weight  of  the  spectators, 
rushes  down,  and  death  in  every  tre- 
mendous shape  appears.  Crushed 
under  the  load  or  dashed  to  pieces 
in  ihe  fall,  thousands  expire.  Their 
music  ie  now  changed  to  dying 
groans,  and  shrieks  of  agonizing 
pain,  instead  of  songs  of  triumph  fill 
the  air.  Thus  dies  the  mighty  Sam- 
son, triumphant  in  his  fall,  and  more 


364 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


the  lords,  and  upon  all  the  peo- 
ple that  were  therein.  So  the 
dead  which  he  slew  at  his  death 
were  nnore  than  they  which  he 
slew  in  his  life. 

31  Then  his  brethren  and  all 
the  house  of  his  father  came 
down,  and  took  him,  and  brought 
him  up,  and  '"buried  him  between 


m  ch.  13.  25. 


the    Philistines   in  his 
even    during  his  life. 


terrible    to 
death  than 

Who  can  in  this  but  be  reminded 
of  that  adorable  Saviour,  who  '  tri- 
umphed over  principalities  and  pow- 
ers upon  the  cross,  and  by  death 
overcame  him  that  had  the  power 
of  death,  and  delivered  those  who 
through  fear  of  death  were  all  Iheir 
lifetime  subject  to  bondage.' 

31,  Then  his  bretkren — came  doion 
and  took  him.  The  overwhelming 
catastrophe  which  had  destroyed  the 
lives  of  so  many  of  the  lords  and  in- 
ferior rulers  of  the  people,  seems  to 
have  been  such  a  crush  to  the  Phil- 
istine power,  that  they  troubled  Is- 
rael no  more  for  several  years,  and 
did  not  even  attempt  to  hinder  Sam- 
son's relations  from  taking  away 
and  burying  his  dead  body.  It  was 
selected  out  from  heaps  of  the  slain, 
brought  honorably  to  his  own  coun- 
try, and  interred  in  the  sepulchre  of 
of  his  fathers. — Thus  terminates  the 
history  of  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able personages  that  ever  distin- 
guished the  annals  of  the  Jewish 
or  any  other  people.  We  may  learn 
from  it,  that  great  gifts  are  often 
connected  with  great  imperfections. 
The  champion  of  Israel  possessed 
courage  and  strength,  and  did  signal 
service  to  his  country  in  contending 
with  its  enemies ;  but  he  had  little 
self-government,  and  affords  a  mel- 
ancholy proof  how  little  corporeal 
prowess  avails  when  judgment  and 
prudence  are  wanting,  and  how  dan- 
gerous, in  fact,  are  all  such  gifts  in 
the  hands  of  any  one,  who  has  not 
his  passions  under  proper  discipline 
and  the  fear  of  God  continually  be- 


Zorah  and  Eshtaol  in  the  bury- 
ing-place  of  Manoah  his  father. 
And  he  judged  Israel  twenty 
years. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

A  ND    there   was    a   man   of 
mount  Ephraim,  whose  name 
was  Micah. 


fore  his  eyes.  While  as  a  Nazaritc 
he  was  careful  to  abstain  from  strong 
drink,  he  took  little  heed  to  cultivate 
that  purity  of  sentiment  and  conduct 
which  is  a  crown  to  every  other  ex- 
cellence, and  the  want  of  which 
never  fails  to  sully  the  lustre  of  the 
brightest  characters. — It  may  here 
be  remarked,  that  from  the  history 
of  Samson  it  is  generally  supposed 
was  derived  that  of  the  Hercules  of 
the  pagan  mythology,  and  M.  De 
Lavour,  an  ingenious  French  writ- 
er, has  drawn  out  the  parallel  at  full 
length,  an  abridgement  of  which 
may  be  seen  in  Dr.  A.  Clark's  com- 
mentary. The  coincidences  are 
certainly  very  striking,  and  to  most 
minds  would  perhaps  afford  an  ad- 
ditional proof  of  how  much  the 
heathens  have  been  indebted  to  the 
Bible. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

That  the  events  related  in  the  re- 
maining chapters  of  this  book  did 
not  occur  in  the  order  in  which  they 
stand  in  the  sacred  narrative,  is  uni- 
versally admitted.  They  constitute 
a  regular  appendix  to  the  book, 
which  is  inserted  here  that  it  might 
not  interrupt  the  previous  history  of 
the  Judges.  The  events  themselves 
occurred  long  before  the  time  of 
Samson,  and  probably  in  the  inter- 
val that  ensued  after  the  death  of 
Joshua  and  the  elders  who  outlived 
him,  and  while  the  government  was 
in  a  very  unsettled  state.  In  chron- 
ological order  the  proper  place  for 
these  chapters  would  undoubtedly 
be  between  ch.  2  and  3,  as  remarked 
on  ch.  3. 11.    The  history  compre- 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


365 


2  And  he  said  unto  his  moth- 
er,  The  eleven  hundred  shekels 
of  silver  that  were  taken  from 
thee,  about  which  thou  cursedst, 
and  spakest  of  also  in  mine  ears, 
behold,  the  silver  is  with  me  ;  I 
took  it.  And  his  mother  said, 
^Blessed  he  thou  of  the  Lord,  my 


hended  in  the'present  and  the  follow- 
ing chapter  is  obviously  connected 
with  ch.  1.  34,  where  the  reasons  of 
the  emigration  of  a  part  of  the  tribe 
of  Dan  to  the  northern  quarter  of 
Canaan  are  stated.  '  The  Amorites 
forced  the  children  of  Dan  into  the 
mountain;  for  they  would  not  suffer 
them  to  come  down  to  the  valley.' 
The  consequence  was,  they  sought 
a  more  enlarged  inheritance,  and 
while  in  the  course  of  possessing 
themselves  of  this,  the  events  here 
related,  resulting  in  the  establish- 
ment of  idolatry  in  that  tribe,  oc- 
<iurred.  The  sad  story  of  the  Le- 
vite's  concubine  and  the  war  wiih 
Benjamin  occupies  the  remaining 
part  of  the  appendix.  These  inci- 
^ients  are  expressly  said,  ch.  20.  28, 
to  have  occurred  while  Phineas,  the 
grandson  of  Aaron  was  high-priest, 
and  must  therefore  be  assigned  to 
about  the  same  period. 

1,  Aman  of  mount  Ephraim^whose 
name  was  Micah.  Heb.  irT'5"'>D 
Michayehu,  (i.  e.  who  is  like  Jeho- 
vah"?)  but  in  the  subsequent  narra- 
tive ihe  name  is  uniformly  contract- 
ed into  tl'D'^Jz  Micah.  This  the  Jew- 
ish writers  say  is  owing  to  the  fact 
of  his  having  become  an  idolater, 
after  which  event  the  sacred  pen- 
man, they  affirm,  regarded  it  as  a 
profanation  of  the  name  Jehovah  to 
have  it  connected  in  any  manner 
'With  his.  By  '  mount  Ephraim'  here 
is  meant,  as  usual,  the  mountainous 
farts  of  Ephraim. 

2.  About  which  thou  cursedst. 
Pronouncedest  an  imprecation  upon 
the  thief;  or,  perhaps,  didst  adjure 


8  And  when  he  had  restored 
the  eleven  hundred  shekels  o^ s\\- 
ver  to  his  mother,  his  mother 
said,  I  had  wholly  dedicated  the 
silver  unto  the  Lord  from  my 
hand  for  my  son,  to  ^make  a 
graven  image  and  a  molten 
image  :  now  therefore  I  will  re- 
store it  unto  thee. 


or  put  under  oath  all  the  family  to 
discover  the  money.  It  is  not  un- 
likely that  Micah,  hearing  this,  was 
alarmed  and  restored  the  money, 
lest  the  curses  should  fall  on  him. 
Although  not  sufficiently  restrained 
by  moral  principle  to  forbear  the 
theft,  yet  his  conscience  had  not 
yet  become  so  hardened  as  to  allow 
him  to  keep  what  he  had  stolen  in 
despite  of  his  mother's  imprecations. 
This  shows  that  he  was  a  novice, 
and  not  a  veteran,  in  sin;  as  other- 
wise he  would  not  have  scrupled  to 
deny,  excuse,  or  defend  it,  as  he 
saw  fit. 

3.  I  had  wholly  dedicated  the  silver 
unto  the  Lord.  A  striking  illustra- 
tion of  the  mistaken  ideas  which 
had  arisen  in  Israel,  and  which  gra- 
dually led  them  on  to  downright 
idolatry.  Micah  and  his  mother 
seem  to  have  intended  to  honor  the 
true  God  by  their  proceedings,  which 
were  nevertheless  so  contrary  to  the 
law,  as  really  to  expose  them  to  be 
punished  by  death.  What  they  did 
seems  to  have  been  to  set  up  a  little 
religious  establishment  similar  to 
that  at  Shiloh,  with  an  imitation  of 
the  ark,  cherubim,  priestly  dresses, 
&c.,  and  finally  crowning  the  whole 
by  obtaining  a  Levite  to  officiate  as 
priest;  and  all  the  while  they 
thought  they  were  doing  God  ser- 
vice! So  blind  and  deluded  in  all 
ages  have  been  those  who  have  add- 
ed their  human  inventions  to  God's 
perfect  system  of  worship.  '  If  re- 
ligion might  be  judged  according 
to  the  (professed)  intention,  there 
should  scarce  be  any  idolatry  in  the 
world.'     Bf.  Hall.        11  Now  there 


JUDGES. 


FA.  C.  1406. 


4  Yet  he  restored  the  money 
unto  his  mother  ;  and  his  mother 
«took  two  hundred  shekels  of 
silver,  and  gave  them  to  the 
founder,  who  made  thereof  a 
graven  image  and  a  molten 
image  :  and  they  were  in  the 
house  of  Micah. 

5  And   the   man  Micah  had 


fore  Iicill  restore  it  unto  thee.  The 
apparent  confusion  in  what  is  said 
in  this  and  the  ensuing  verse  of  the 
*  restoring'  of  the  money,  affords  no 
little  plausibility  to  the  rendering  of 
this  clause  proposed  by  Schmid,  ^And 
tJien  I  will  restore  it  unto  thee,'  i.  e. 
after  it  has  passed  through  the  hands 
of  the  founder  and  been  converted 
to  the  proposed  images.  Ot  these  it 
would  seem  from  the  letter  of  the 
text  that  there  were  t^''o,  one  sculp- 
tured of  wood  or  stone,  and  then 
plated  with  silver,  the  other  made  of 
the  solid  metal  cast  in  a  mould.  The 
original  however  will  perhaps  ad- 
mit of  the  rendering,  'a  graven 
image,  ere^i  a  molten  image  ;'  i.  e. 
an  image  in  the  first  place  graven 
or  sculptured,  and  then  molten,  or 
spread  over  with  a  layer  of  silver. 
The  latter  we  think  the  preferable 
sense,  especially  as  in  ch.  18.  30,  31, 
mention  is  made  only  of  the  graven 
image,  and  in  the  final  clause  of  v. 
4,  of  this  chapter,  it  is  said  in  the 
original,  *  And  it  was  in  the  house 
of  Micah,'  though  in  our  version 
arbitrarily  and  erroneously  render- 
ed, '  And  they  were  in  the  house.'  It 
will  be  remarked,  moreover,  that 
she  appropriated  only  two  hundred 
out  of  the  eleven  hundred  shekels  to 
this  purpose,  which  would  hardly 
have  been  sufficient  for  the  con- 
struction of  even  one  image  of  any 
size ;  whereas  if  the  silver  were  em- 
ployed in  plating  or  gilding,  the 
quantity  would  have  been  ample  for 
a  good  sized  statue.  The  remain- 
ing nine  hundred  shekels  were  pro- 
bably laid  out  in  the  procurement  of 


a  house  of  gods,  and  made  an 
''ephod,  and  "teraphim,  and  con- 
secrated one  of  his  sons,  who  be- 
came his  priest. 

6  f  In  those  days  there  was  no 
king  in  Israel,  shut  every  man 
did  that  which  was  right  in  his 
own  eyes. 

7  IT  And  there  was  a  young 

dchS.  27.  e  Gen.  31  19,  30.  Hos.  3.  4.  fell* 
18.  1.  &  19  1.  &  31.  25.     Deul.  33.  5.        g  Deuu  12.  8. 

various  other  articles  necessary  to 
complete  their  sacred  apparatus, 
particularly  the  ephod  andteraphim. 

5.  And  thi  man  Micah  had  a  house 
of  gods.  Heb.  '  and  as  to  the  man 
Micah,  there  was  to  him  a  house  of 
God,'  as  the  closing  phrase  may  be 
rendered.  It  is  spoken  of  as  the  re- 
sult of  the  whole  transaction;  q.  d. 
'  Thus  they  managed  the  matter, 
and  lo!  the  ina7i,  the  humble  indi- 
vidual, Micah,  became  possessed  of 
a  house  of  God,  a  sanctuary!'  im- 
plying not  that  it  was  really  such, 
but  that  it  was  such  in  his  estima- 
tion. The  words  convey  a  latent 
touch  of  sarcasm  or  irony,  and 
ought  properly  to  constitute  a  period 
by  themselves;  thenext  clause  would 
then  begin  with  the  repetition  of  the 
person,  '  and  he  made,'  &c.,  i.  e. 
procured  to  be  made.  Of  the  Ephod, 
see  on  Ex.  28.  4 ;  of  the  Teraphira, 
on  Gen.21.  19,  30;  and  of  the  import 
of  the  Heb.  word  for  'consecrate,' 
Ex.  29.  9,  41.  Lev.  7.  37. 

6.  Ill  those  days  there  was  no  king 
in  Israel^  &c.  Intimating  the  reason 
to  which  it  was  owing  that  such 
gross  enormities  as  tho.se  here  men- 
tioned should  have  occurred.  There 
was  no  king,  judge,  or  controlling 
power  to  take  cognizance  of  them  ; 
no  one  to  give  orders  for  destroying 
the  images;  no  one  to  convince 
Micah  of  his  error  and  guilt  in 
making  them,  or  to  punish  his  of- 
fence; no  one,  in  fine,  to  arrest  in 
the  outset  an  evil  which  was  likely 
to  spread  and  infect  the  whole  na- 
tion. '  Every  man  did  that  which 
was  right  in  his  own  eyes,  and  then 


A.  C.  1406.] 


man  out  of '^Beth-lehem-judah  of 
the  family  of  Judah,  who  was  a 
Levite,  and  he  sojourned  there. 

8  And  the  man  departed  out 
of  the  city  from  Beth-lehem-ju- 
dah,  to  sojourn  where  he  could 
find  a  place  :  and  he  came  to 
mount  Ephraim  to  the  house  of 
Micah,  as  he  journeyed. 

9  And  Micah  said  unto  him, 
Whence  comest  thou?  And  he 

h  See  Josh.  19-  15.     ch.  19.  1.    Ruih  1.  1,  2.      Mic- 
5.2.     Matt.  2.  1,  5,  6 

they  soon  did  that  which  was  evil  in 
the  sight  of  the  Lord.'  Henry.  IT 
Did  that  which  was  right  in  his  own 
eyes.  The  original  term  -i^-i  ya- 
shar,  is  the  same  as  that  applied  by 
Samson,  ch.  13.  3,  to  the  Philistine 
woman  whom  he  urged  his  parents 
to  procure  for  him,  'She  is  right 
in  my  eyes,'  on  which  see  note. 

7.  A  yomig  man  of  Bethlehem-Ju- 
dah.  So  called  to  distinguish  it  from 
another  Bethlehem  in  the  tribe  of 
Zebulun.  Josh.  19.  15.  IT  Of  the 
family  of  Judah.  This  is  doubtless 
to  be  understood,  not  of  the  young 
man,  but  of  the  city.  He  was  of  that 
city  Bethlehem  which  pertained  to 
the  family  (i.  e.  tribe)  of  Judah,  thus 
distinguishing  the  place  with  still 
greater  accuracy.  Otherwise  the 
words  are  scarcely  intelligible ;  for 
how  could  a  Levite  be  at  the  same 
time  of  the  family  of  Judah  1  '^And 
he  sojourned  there.  Sojourned  rather 
than  permanently  dwelt;  for  Beth- 
lehem was  not  a  Levitical  city,  and 
therefore  not  the  appropriate  resi- 
dence of  one  of  the  priestly  tribe. 
But  it  is  probable  that  a  good  deal  of 
liberty  was  allowed  in  this  respect, 
and  that  especially  in  times  of  gen- 
eral laxness  and  confusion,  the  Le- 
vites  were  dispersed  in  a  very  irre- 
gular manner  over  every  part  of  the 
land. 

8.  And  the  man  departed^  &c. 
Prompted  either  by  fancied  neces- 
sity from  the  difficulty  of  obtaining 
a  livelihood,  or  by  the  impulse  of  a 
roving  mind ;  or  rather  perhaps  from 


CHAPTER  XVn. 


367 


said  unto  him,  I  am  a  Levite  of 
Beth-lehem-judah,  and  I  go  to 
sojourn  where  1  may  find  a 
place. 

10  And  Micah  said  unto  him, 
Dwell  with  me,  'and  be  unto  me 
a  i^father  and  a  priest,  and  I  will 
give  thee  ten  shekels  of  silver  by 
tiie  year,  and  a  suit  of  apparel, 
and  thy  victuals.  So  the  Levite 
went  in. 

i  eh.  18.  19.  k  Gen.:45.  8.    Job  29.  16. 


the  influence  of  both  these  causes 
combined.  The  times  were  un- 
doubtedly sadly  degenerate  and  the 
whole  Levitical  order  reduced  to 
straits,  yet  it  is  scarcely  conceivable 
that  a  Levite,  for  whom  the  law  had 
made  such  express  provision,  Deut. 
12.  19,  saying,  '  Take  heed  to  thyself 
that  thou  forsake  not  the  Levite  as 
long  as  thou  livest  upon  the  earth,' 
should  actually  have  been  forced  to 
wander  for  a  maintenance.  It  was 
probably  rather  owing  to  a  native 
waywardness  of  disposition.  Nor  is 
there  any  thing  related  of  this  in- 
dividual calculated  to  shield  him 
from  such  an  imputation.  IT  He 
came  to  the  house  of  Micah,  as  he 
jouriieyed.  Heb.  '  to  make  his  way.' 
'That  is,  without  the  design  of  tarry- 
ing. He  merely  '  turned  aside  as  a 
wayfaring  man  to  tarry  for  a  night,' 
and  contrary  to  his  expectation 
found  an  opening  of  which  he  rash- 
ly concluded  to  avail  himself. 

10.  Be  unto  me  a  father  and  a 
priest.  That  is,  be  unto  me  a  father 
even  'a  priest,  a  spiritual  father,  a 
teacher,  guide,  or  overseer  in  reli- 
gious things;  in  which  sense  the 
word, '  father,'  repeatedly  occurs  in 
the  sacred  writers.  See  2  Kings  6. 
21.— 8.  9.— 13.  4.  Is.  22.  21.  '  He 
pretends  reverence  and  submission 
to  him,  and  what  is  wanting  in 
wages,  he  pays  him  in  empty  titles.' 
Poole.  IT  A  suit  of  apparel.  Heb. 
'  an  order  of  garments  ;'  Coeceius, 
'  a  fitting  out  of  garments,'  i.  e.  such 
as  would  be  suitable  to  wear  on  or- 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


11  And  the  Levite  was  con- 
tent to  dwell  with  the  man  ;  and 
the  young  man  was  unto  him  as 
one  of  his  sons. 

12  And  Micah  iconsecrated 
the  Levite  ;  and  the  young  man 

1  Ter.  5. 

dinary  occasions,  and  such  as  he 
should  need  in  his  official  ministra- 
tions. IT  So  the  Levite  went  hi.  By 
no  means  the  exact  import  of  the  ori- 
ginal, which  is  ni*^1  o,nd  he  went  or 
walked,  whereas  the  appropriate  term 
for  '  went  in'  is  fc^^*^-].  They  were 
doubtless  already  in  the  house,'when 
the  bargain  was  concluded.  Either 
the  sense  given  to  the  words  by 
Jarchi,  '  And  he  we7it  after  his  coun- 
sels,' i.  e.  Micah's;  or  that  assigned 
by  Kimchi.  '  And  he  went  about  the 
duties  of  his  office,^  comes  undoubt- 
edly much  nearer  the  scope  of  the 
writer.  For  the  use  of '  walk'  in  the 
sense  of  ministerial  service,  see 
1  Sam.  2.  30,  35.  and  also  note  on 
Gen.  5.  22. 

11.  The  Levite  was  content  to  dwell. 
The  original  implies  a  peculiar  com- 
placency in  dwelling  with  his  em- 
ployer. Being  kindly  treated  and 
receiving  respvTctable  wages  for  the 
times,  he  thought  himself  happy  in 
lighting  upon  so  eligible  a  situation. 

12.  Consecrated  the  Levite.  Heb, 
'  filled  his  hand;'  furnished  him  with 
the  proper  offering  which  he  was  to 
present  on  his  inauguration.  The 
act,  however,  was  wholly  unlawful. 
Micah  had  no  right  even  to  under- 
take to  set  apart  a  person  to  the 
priestly  office,  nor  had  the  Levite 
any  right  to  think  of  accepting  such 
a  dignity,  even  had  the  occasion  been 
lawful,  for  it  appears  from  ch.  18. 
30,  that  this  young  man,  whose  name 
was  Jonathan,  was  not  of  Aaron's 
family,  but  the  son  of  Gershom, 
another  branch  of  the  same  tribe. 

13.  Now  know  I  that  the  Lord  7oill 
do  me  good,  seeing,  &c.  Having 
provided  an  epitome  of  the  taber- 
nacle, with  models  of  its  various  fur- 
niture, such  as  the  ark,  the  mercy- 


"" became  his  priest,  and  was  in 
the  house  of  Micah. 

13  Then  said  Micah,  Now 
know  I  that  the  Lord  will  do  me 
good,  seeing  1  have  a  Levite  to 
my  priest. 


seat,  the  cherubim,  &c.,  and  having 
procured  the  proper  sacerdotal  vest- 
ments, with  a  Levite  to  wear  them 
and  officiate,  he  takes  it  for  granted 
that  all  will  now  be  well,  and  that 
he  may  confidently  expect  the  divine 
blessing.  His  delusion  in  this  was 
very  gross,  and  yet  how  strikingly 
does  it  represent  the  false  confi- 
dences of  ungodly  men  in  every  age. 
The  fact  of  his  having  put  away  his 
son  from  the  priesthood  of  his  estab- 
lishment, and  appointed  one  of  the 
Levitical  order,  seems  to  have  ban- 
ished all  his  doubts  and  fears  as  to 
the  issue,  though  his  graven  image 
still  remained.  In  like  manner, 
thousands  flatter  themselves  that  a 
partial  reformation  of  conduct,  or 
the  correction  of  a  single  fault  will 
atone  for  persisting  in  multitudes 
of  others,  and  that  a  decent  obser- 
vance of  the  prescribed  forms  of  re- 
ligion will  answer  in  the  place  of 
spirituality  of  mind  and  real  purity 
of  heart.  Though  they  retain  their 
idols,  they  will  still  cleave  to  their 
altar  and  priest,  and,  serving  God 
according  to  such  rules  as  they  have 
laid  down  for  themselves,  have  no 
fears  but  that  all  will  be  well  with 
them  both  in  this  world  and  the  next. 
And  yet  how  often  is  it  the  case, 
that  the  very  deeds  of  self-righteous- 
ness, in  which  they  rely  as  com- 
mending them  to  God's  favor,  are 
precisely  the  ones  which  he  most 
abhors,  and  which  most  effectually 
incur  his  wrath.  Let  us  then  re- 
nounce every  vain  confidence.  Let 
us  not  promise  ourselves  exemp- 
tion from  ill  on  the  mere  ground 
of  external  privileges,  or  sacred  re- 
lations. The  Jews  could  boast  of 
having  Abraham  to  their  father,  and 
the  temple  of  God  for  their  place  of 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


369 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
TN   ^those  days  there  was  no 

king  in  Israel  :  and  in  those 
days  4he  tribe  of  the  Danites, 
sought  them  an  inheritance  to 
dwell  in  ;  for  unto  that  day  all 
their  inheritance  had  not  fallen 
unto  thern  annong  the  tribes  of 
Israel. 

2  And  the  children  of  Dan 
sent  of  their  family  five  men 
from  their  coasts,  men  of  valor 
from  ^Zorah,  and  from  Eshtaol, 
''to  spy  out  the  land,  and  to 
search  it ;  and  they  said  unto 
them,  Go,  search  the  land  :  who 
when    they     came    to     mount 

a  ch.  17.  6.  &  21.  25         bJosli.  19   47.        c  ch.  13. 
25.        (1  Num.  13.  17.    .losh.  2   1. 


worship,  and  esteem  this  a  sufficient 
ground  of  hope,  though  living  in 
constant  violation  of  every  known 
duty.  Thus  loo  it  is  certain  thai 
many  from  the  fact  of  being  born  of 
pious  parents,  dwelling  in  praying 
families,  enjoying  a  valuable  min- 
istry, and  being  a.ssociated  with  the 
excellent  of  the  earth,  build  a  hope 
that  all  will  be  well  with  them, 
though  they  are  heedless  of  cultiva- 
ting the  graces  of  the  Spirit,  and 
of  laying  hold  of  eternal  life.  All 
such  fancied  security  is  but  ex- 
emplifying the  infatuation  of  Micah 
when  he  said,  '  Now  know  I  that  the 
Lord  will  do  me  good,  seeing  that  I 
have  a  Levite  to  my  priest.' 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

1.  la  those  days  there  2cas  no  king 
in  Israel.  That  is,  about  the  time 
mentioned  in  the.preceding  chapter, 
and  not  long  after  the  death  of  Josh- 
ua. M  The  tribe  of  the  Danites. 
Not  the  whole,  but  a  part  of  this 
tribe,  some  families  of  it,  to  the  num- 
ber of  six  hundred  men  of  war  with 
their  households,  v.  16,  21.  'HUnto 
that  day  all  their  inheritance  had  not 
fallen  unto  them  among  the  tribes  of 
Israel.  Not  but  that  the  tribe  of  Daii 
32 


Ephraim,to  the  ^house  of  Micah, 
they  lodged  there. 

3  When  they  were  by  the 
house  of  Micah,  they  knew  the 
voice  of  the  young  man  the 
Levite  :  and  they  turned  in  thith- 
er, and  said  unto  him.  Who 
brought  thee  hither?  and  what 
makest  thou  in  this  place?  and 
what  hast  thou  here  1 

4  And  he  said  unto  them, 
Thus  and  thus  dealeth  Micah 
with  me,  and  hath  ^ hired  me, 
and  I  am  his  priest. 

5  And  they  said  unto  him, 
^Ask  counsel,  we  pray  thee,  '^of 
God,  that  we  may  know  wheth- 

ech.  17.  1.  fch.  17.  10.  gl  Kings  22.  5.  Is. 
3U.  1.    Hos.  4.  12.        h  See  ch.  17.  5.  &  ver.  14. 

had  had  an  inheritance  assigned  to 
them  as  well  as  the  other  tribes, 
Josh.  19.  40,  but  up  to  this  time  they 
were  not  in  the  actual  enjoyment  of 
their  possession.  In  consequence  of 
their  culpable  remissness  in  expell- 
ing the  old  iuhabiiants,  they  lost  the 
advantages  they  might  otherwise 
have  gained  over  ihem,  and  not  only 
so,  but  as  appears  from  Josh.  19.  47, 
(where  see  note)  a  part  of  their  ter- 
ritories had  actually  been  wrested 
out  of  their  hands,  leaving  them  so 
straitened  for  room,  that  a  portion  of 
the  tribe  was  indnced  to  migrate  to 
a  distant  section  of  the  land  in  quest 
of  ampler  accommodations.  See  a 
brief  account  of  this,  Josh.  19.  47. 

2.  Men  of  talor.  Heb.  '  sons  of 
valor.'  ^  They  lodged  there.  Not 
in  the  house,  but  by  it,  as  is  evident 
from  the  next  verse.  IT  Knew  the 
voice  of  the  young  man.  Either  re- 
cognised him  in  this  way  as  an  old 
acquaintance,  or  perceived  by  his 
dialect,  his  mode  of  pronunciation, 
that  although  now  residing  at  mount 
Ephraim  he  w^as  yet  of  a  different 
stock;  for  we  have  already  seen  that 
the  Ephraimites  had  a  pronunciation 
peculiar  to  themselves,  ch.  12.  6. 
IT  Jfliat  makest  thou  7    Rather,  what 


870 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


er  our  way  which  we  go  shall 
be  prosperous. 

6  And  the  priest  said  unto 
them,  iGo  in  peace:  before  the 
Lord  is  your  way  wherein  ye 
go. 


doest  thou.  U  What  hast  thou  here  ? 
Hast  thoa  a  family  with  thee,  and 
what  are  thy  means  oi  subsi6tence  1 

5.  Ask  cuunsel,  I  pray  thee,  oj  God. 
We  see  irom  this  circumstance  how 
deep  was  the  degeneracy  of  the 
times.  Had  these  men  of  Dan  pos- 
sessed the  spirit  of  true  Israelites, 
they  would  have  been  indignant  to 
learn  that  a  rival  sanctuary  to  that 
of  Shiloh  had  been  set  up,  and  that 
a  renegade  Levite  had  sacrilegious- 
ly assumed  the  functions  of  the  sac- 
red ottice.  But  the  circumstance, 
instead  of  giving  rise  to  censure  or 
remonstrance,  seems  rather  lo  have 
ministered  occasion  for  drawing  out 
the  latent  idolatrous  propensities  of 
their  own  hearts.  Probably  con- 
scious of  having  neglected  at  the 
outset  of  their  expedition  to  consult 
the  Most  High  and  implore  his 
blessing,  they  determined  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  professed  oracle  at 
hand,  and  learn  from  the  Teraphini 
what  they  ought  to  have  learned 
from  the  Urim.  So  much  more 
prone  is  man's  depraved  nature  to 
idolatrous  superstiiion  than  lo  real 
piety.  II  Whether  our  way  which 
we  gO)  &c.  Whether  our  enter- 
prise which  we  have  undertaken 
shall  succeed.  On  this  import  of 
the  word  '  way,'  as  including  not  the 
journey  only,  but  every  thing  per- 
taining it,  see  on  ch.  4.  9. 

6.  Go  in  peace.  That  is,  go  and 
prosper.  This  being  strictly  no 
more  than  the  expression  of  a  friend- 
ly loish,  did  not  commit  his  foresight 
as  a  prophet.  IT  Your  vmy  is  before 
the  Lord.  An  ambiguous  expres- 
sion, capable  of  being  interpreted, 
according  to  the  event,  either  in  a 
good  or  bad  sense,  and  thus  bearing 
the  equivocal  character  of  the  res- 
ponses of  all  the  ancient  heathen 


7  IT  Then  the  five  men  de- 
parted, and  came  to  '■Laish,  and 
saw  the  people  that  were  therein, 
ihuw  they  dwelt  careless,  after 
the  manner  of  the  Zidcnians, 
quiet  and  secure  ;  and  there  was 


oracles.  Its  prevailing  sense  in  the 
Scriptures  is  undoubtedly  that  of  ap- 
probation on  the  part  of  God,  and  so 
in  the  present  case  he  intended  it 
should  be  understood.  Yet  it  has 
not  exclusively  this  import.  When 
rigidly  weighed  it  amounts  only  to 
the  general  iruth  elsewhere  affirmed, 
that  '  The  ways  of  man  are  before 
the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  and  he  pon- 
dereth  all  his  goings.'  If,  therefore, 
the  event  should  be  propitious,  he 
would  of  course  gain  the  credit  of  a 
true  prophet,  whereas  if  it  were  ad- 
verse, he  would  at  once  take  shelter 
under  the  ambiguity  of  the  expres- 
sion. While  we  recognise  the  sub- 
tlety of  Satan  in  this  reply,  we  may 
still  gather  from  the  incident  the 
importance  of  bespeaking  the  divine 
direction  and  blessing  at  the  outset 
of  all  our  ways.  We  may  go  com- 
fortably and  cheerfully  forward  in 
them,  if  they  are  only  such  as  he 
approves.  His  smile  is  success,  his 
frown  disaster. 

7.  Ca7ne  to  Laish.  Made  sanguine 
and  confident  by  the  Levite  s  pre- 
diction, they  set  forward  on  their 
journey  and  came  to  Laish,  or  Les- 
hem,  as  it  is  called  by  Joshua,  19.  47, 
and  afterwards  Dan,  v.  29.  The  in- 
habitants of  this  place  are  supposed 
to  have  been  a  colony  of  the  Zido- 
nians,  or  Sidonians,ata  very  consid- 
erable distance  from  the  parent 
country.  ^Drvelt  careless  after  the 
maimer  of  the  Zidonians.  The  ha- 
bitual security  of  the  Zidonians  pro- 
bably arose  mainly  from  their  posi- 
tion and  pursuits.  They  lived  in  a 
flourishing  sea-port  town  and  were 
chiefly  addicted  to  commerce,  and 
not  being  included  in  the  seven  de- 
voted nations  of  Canaan,  they  prob- 
ably give  themselves  but  little  con- 
cern about  the  wars  and  conquests 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


371 


no  magistrate  in  the  land,  that 
might  put  them  to  shame  in  any 
thing ;  and  they  were  far  from 
the  Zidonians,  and  had  no  busi- 
ness with  any  man. 

8  And  they  came  unto  their 
brethren  to  "'Zorah  and  Eshtaol : 
and  their  brethren  said  unto 
them,  What  say  ye  1 


that  were  going  on  around  them. 
In  this  respect  the  people  of  Laish 
resembled  them.  Conscious  of  no 
ill  design  themselves,  and  free 
from  the  apprehension  of  being  mo- 
lested by  others,  they  dwelt  at  ease 
in  their  rich  and  fertile  valley,  v.  28, 
their  gates  left  open,  and  their  walls 
neglected.  But  the  grasping  cupid- 
ity of  man  leaves  nothing  secure 
on  earth,  and  the  peaceful  abodes 
of  rural  life  are  often  visited  by 
calamities  that  populous  cities  and 
the  crowded  marts  of  commerce 
would  have  more  reason  to  dread. 
IT  A'^o  ma,gislrate  in  the  land,  &c. 
Heb.  'no  heir,  or  possessor,  of  re- 
straint.' It  is  not  absolutely  certain 
that  what  is  here  said  of  the  people 
of  Laish  is  to  be  understood  by  way 
of  reproach,  as  the  original, '  heir  of 
restraint,'  may  simply  mean  that 
there  was  no  hereditary  government 
exercised  among  them,  but  that  they 
lived  under  a  free  republic,  and  yet 
so  peaceably  and  harmoniously  that 
there  was  no  one  disposed  to 
*  shame,' i.  e.  to  injure,  to  vex,  to 
put  indignity  upon,  his  neighbor  or 
fellow  citizen.  And  all  this  may  be 
stated  as  mere  matter  of  fact  respect- 
ing their  political  condition,  and 
perhaps  with  the  design  of  intimat- 
ing the  cruelty  of  the  Danites  in 
barbarously  invading  and  putting  to 
the  sword  such  an  inolfensive  com- 
munity. At  the  same  time,  the  evi- 
dence in  favor  of  the  common  inter- 
pretation, which  makes  the  words  to 
convey  a  reflection  upon  the  lawless 
and  dissolute  state  of  things  among 
them,  is  perhaps  still  stronger,  and 


9  And  they  said,  "Arise,  that 
we  may  go  up  against  them  : 
for  we  have  seen  the  land,  and 
behold,  it  is  very  good :  and 
are  ye  "still?  be  not  slothful  to 
^o,  and  to  enter  to  possess  the 
land. 

10  When  ye  go,  ye  shall 
come  unto  a  people  Psecure,  and 

n  Num.  13.  30.      Josh.  2.  23,24.        ol  Kings  22.  3. 
p  ver.  7.  27. 

we  incline  to  abide  by  it.  IF  Were 
far  froDi  the  Zidonians.  Conse- 
quently far  from  succor  in  case  of  a 
sudden  attack.  IT  Had  no  business 
with  any  man.  No  treaties  of  alli- 
ance, no  commercial  intercourse,  no 
established  connection  of  any  kind. 
Depending  upon  their  own  resources, 
and  feeling  little  need  of  foreign 
luxuries,  they  lived  in  an  insulated 
state  in  respect  to  the  rest  of  the 
world.  The  words  of  themselves 
convey  no  impeachment  of  their 
character  on  the  score  of  industry 
or  activity,  and  yet  taken  in  connec- 
tion with  the  whole  passage,  they 
may  perhaps  warrant  the  inference 
drawn  from  them  by  most  commen- 
tators, that  the  Laish ites  were  an  in- 
dolent and  idle  people.  Still  a  posi- 
tive affirmation  cannot  be  built  upon 
the  premises. 

9.  Are  ye  still?  Heb.  'silent;' 
i.  e.  inactive.  On  the  peculiar  use  of 
Heb.  terms  for '  silence,'  see  on  Josh. 
10.12.  The  spirit  of  this  report  may 
be  applied  to  a  higher  theme.  Heav- 
en is  a  good  land,  made  sure  by  pro- 
mise to  all  believers,  and  if  we  have 
a  heart  to  travel  thither,  boldly  fa- 
cing the  dangers  in  the  way,  we  shall 
find  every  want  supplied  for  ever. 
Yet  so  insidious  and  powerful  an 
enemy  is  sloth  to  the  soul  in  its  jour- 
ney heavenward,  that  we  have  need 
to  exhort  one  another  daily  to  arise 
and  be  doing.  No  one  knows  how 
much  comfort  he  loses  here,  or  how 
much  glory  hereafter,  by  sinful  neg- 
ligence. 

10.  Where  there  is  no  want  of  any 
thing  that  is  in  the  earth.    Probablj 


372 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


to  a  large  land  :  for  God  hath 
given  it  into  your  hands ;  '^a 
place  where  there  is  no  want  of 
any  thing  that  is  in  the  earth. 

11  IF  And  there  went  from 
thence  of  the  family  of  the  Dati- 
ites,  out  of  Zorah  and  out  of 
Eshtaol,  six  hundred  men  ap- 
pointed  with  weapons  of  war. 

12  And  they  went  up,  and 
phched  in  "-Kirjath-jearim,  in  Ju- 
dah  :  wherefore  they  called  that 
place  n\Iahaneh-dan  unto  this 
day  :  behold,  it  is  behind  Kirjath- 
jearim. 

13  And  they  passed  thence 
unto  mount  Ephraim,  and  came 
unto  Uhe  house  of  Micah. 

l'4   11    "Then     answered   the 

q  Dent  8.  9     r  Josh.  15.  60.     s  cli.  13.  25.     t  ver.  2. 
u  I  Sam.  U.  £8. 


the  more  correct  rendering  is, 'in 
the  land,' i.  e.  the  land  of  Canaan. 
No  part  of  the  land  of  promise  held 
out  greater  advantages;  r.one  was 
on  any  account  more  eligible.  This 
is  the  usual  sense  of  the  original. 

11.  Of  ike  family  of  the  Danites. 
Meaning,  of  the  tnbe  of  the  Danites; 
the  aggregate  of  the  families;  col- 
lect, sing,  for  plur.  as  often  before. 
•fT  Appointed  ivith  weapons  of  war. 
Heb.  'girded.' 

12.  Pitched  in  Kirjath-jearim. 
Not  in  the  city  itself,  but  in  its  im- 
mediate vicinity,  as  is  clear  from 
the  final  clause.  See  on  Josh.  10. 
10.  IT  M'thaneh-dan.  That  is,  '  the 
camp  of  Dan ,'  so  called  from  the 
circumstance  of  this  expedition  en- 
camping  there.  By  comparing  ch. 
13.  25,  it  appears  quite  obvious  that 
this  transaction  occurred  previous 
to  the  days  of  Samson.  ff  Behind 
Kirjath-jearim.  Westward  of  Kir- 
jath-jearim ;  for  as  the  face  is  always 
supposed  to  be  turned  to  the  east 
when  the  sacred  writers  speak  of 
the  points  of  the  compass,  the  west 
of  course  falls  behind  one.    Thus 


five  men  that  went  to  spy  out 
the  country  of  Laish,  and  said 
unto  their  brethren,  Do  ye  know 
that  ^there  is  In  these  liouses  an 
ephod,  and  teraphim,  and  a  gra- 
ven image,  and  a  molten  image  ? 
now  therefore  consider  what  ye 
have  to  do. 

15  And  they  turned  thither- 
ward, and  came  to  the  house 
of  the  young  man  the  Levite, 
even  unto  the  house  of  Micah, 
and  saluted  him. 

16  And  the  >six  hundred  men 
appointed  with  their  weapons  of 
war,  whicn  were  of  the  children 
of  Dan,  stood  by  the  entering  of 
the  gate. 

17  And   nhe    five   men   that 

xch.  17.  5.        y  ver.  11.    .    z  ver.  2,  11. 


Deut.  11.  24,  the  Mediterranean,  or 
western,  sea,  is  called  the  hinderviost 
sea  (p-ini^n  TD1"'n),  as  the  east  on 
the  other  hand,  is  designated  by  a 
term  (o-ih  kedcni)  which  has  the 
sense  of  before  or  anterior. 

14.  Then  answered.  Then  spake. 
An  idiom  both  of  the  Hebrew  and 
the  Greek,  by  which  this  word  is 
usea  f<  r  addressed,  accosted.  See 
1  Kings  1.  28.  Ezra  10.  2.  Is.  14.  10. 
H  Consider  ichat  ye  have  to  do.  Con- 
sider what  ye  shall  do;  it  is  a  point 
worth  deliberating  whether  this 
priest  and  his  oracle,  of  the  truth  of 
whose  responses  we  have  had  ex- 
perience, will  not  be  a  valuable  ac- 
quisition to  us  in  our  new  settle- 
ment. Their  subsequent  actions  are 
the  best  commentary  on  these  words. 

15.  And  saluted  him.  Heb  'asked 
him  of  peace;'  i.  e.  inquired  respect- 
ing his  Avelfare,  which  is  rrsually  ex- 
pressed by  the  term  _pe«ce.  See  Gen. 
43.27.  Ex.  18.7. 

17.  The  five  men — came  in  thither. 
Entered  into  what  might  be  called 
the  sanctuary,  the  chapel,  of  Micah's 
house.      From   its  being  said  that 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


373 


went  to  spy  out  the  land  went 
up,  and  came  in  thither,  and 
took  nhe  graven  image,  and  the 
ephod,  and  the  teraphim,  and  the 
molten  image :  and  the  priest 
stood  in  the  entering  of  the  gate 
with  the  six  hundred  men  that 
were  appointed  with  weapons  of 
war. 

18  And  these  went  into  Mi- 
cah's  house,  and  fetched  the  car- 
ved  image,  the  ephod,  and  the 
teraphim,  and  the  mohen  image. 
Then  said  the  priest  unto  them, 
What  do  ye  ? 

19  And  they  said  unto  him, 
Hold  thy  peace,   ^lay  thy  hand 

ach.  17.  4,5.        b  J6b.  21.  5.    &    29.9.    &    40.4. 
Prov.  30.  32      Mio.  7.  16. 


they  '  went  up'  (i^j'i)  for  this  pur- 
pose, Rosenmuller  conjectures  that 
it  was  an  upper  apartment,  and  ad- 
duces Dan.  6.  10,  in  confirmation. 
IT  The  priest  stood  in  the  entering  of 
the  gate.  Where  the  other  party  no 
doubt  detained  and  held  him  in  talk, 
while  their  comrades  effected  the 
abduction  of  the  gods  with  all  their 
appurtenances,  '  See  what  little  care 
this  sorry  priest  took  of  his  gods ; 
while  he  was  sauntering  at  the  gate, 
his  treasure  (such  as  it  was)  was 
gone.  See  how  impotent  these 
wretched  gods  were,  that  could  not 
keep  themselves  from  being  stolen.' 
Henry.  The  whole  scene,  including 
the  conduct  of  all  parties,  is  a  singu- 
lar mixture  of  the  impious  and  the 
ludicrous, 

18.  These  went  into  MicaKs  house. 
The  five  men  mentioned  above  went 
in,  while  the  six  hundred  armed 
men  stood  at  the  gate. 

19-  hay  thy  hand  upon  thy  mouth. 
A  well  known  token  of  silence 
among  all  nations.  Comp.  Job  21.  5. 
Prov.  30.  32. 

19.  That  thou  he  a  priest  unto  a 
tribe  and  a  family  in  Israel.  That 
is,  '  to  a  triiae,  even  a  collection  of 
families.'    From  the  narrated  facts 

32* 


upon  thy  mouth,  and  go  with  us 
■^and  be  to  us  a  father  and  a 
priest :  Is  it  better  for  thee  to  be 
a  priest  unto  the  house  of  one 
man,  or  that  thou  be  a  priest  un- 
to a  tribe  and  a  family  in  Israel  ? 

20  And  the  priest's  heart  was 
glad,  and  he  took  the  ephod,  and 
the  teraphim,  and  the  graven  im- 
age, and  went  in  the  midst  of  the 
people. 

21  So  they  turned  and  depar- 
ted, and  put  the  little  ones,  and 
the  cattle,  and  the  carriage  be- 
fore them. 

22  IT  And  when  they  were  a 
good  way  from  the  house  of  Mi- 


of  the  case  it  is  evident  that  a  whole 
tribe  could  not  have  been  intended. 

20.  The  priest's  heart  loas  glad. 
Swayed  wholly  by  self-interest  and 
unmindful  of  the  claims  of  gratitude 
and  of  truth,  he  forsakes  his  former 
employer  merely  from  the  motives 
of  covetousness  and  ambition.  But 
who  can  be  surprised  to  find  him 
false  and  treacherous  to  men  who 
has  been  convicted  of  the  grossest 
perfidy  towards  God  1  IT  Went  in 
the  midst  of  the  people.  Or,  Heb. 
'  went  into  the  midst  of  the  people.' 
Took  his  place  in  the  centre  of  the 
company,  both  to  secure  him  from 
the  pursuit  of  Micah,  and  in  imita- 
tion of  the  order  of  Israel's  march 
through  the  wilderness,  in  which 
the  ark  and  the  priests  moved  in  the 
middle  of  the  host. 

20.  The  carriage  before  them.  Heb. 
miDi  kebudah,  the  loeight,  i.  e.  the 
luggage  or  baggage,  the  various 
moveables  which  a  body  of  emi- 
grants would  naturally  carry  with 
them.  No  allusion  whatever  is  had 
to  wheel-carriages,  as  these  vehicles, 
even  to  this  day,  are  entirely  un- 
known as  a  means  of  travelling  in 
that  country.  The  arrangement 
here  mentioned  was  a  precautionary 


374 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.140  6 


cah,  the  men  that  were  in  the 
houses  near  to  Micah's  house 
were  gathered  together,  and 
overtook  the  children  of  Dan. 

23  And  they  cried  unto  the 
children  of  Dan.  And  they 
turned  their  faces,  and  said  unto 
Micah,  What  aileth  thee,  that 
thou  comest  with  such  a  com- 
pany ? 

24  And  he  said,  Ye  have  ta- 
ken away  my  gods  which  I  made, 

measure  designed  to  guard  against 
the  consequences  of  an  attack  on  ihe 
part  of  Micah,  which,  should  he  see 
fit  to  make  one,  would  naturally  be 
upon  the  rear. 

23,  What  aileth  thee,  that  thou 
comest  with  such  a  covipany  1  Heb. 
'  what  to  thee,  that  thou  art  gathered 
together'?'  An  individual  of  course 
could  not  be  said  to  be  '  gathered  to- 
gether;' but  the  Heb.  idiom  by 
which  the  leader  or  head  of  a  multi- 
tude is  put  for  the  multitude  itself, 
is  of  very  frequent  occurrence.  See 
note  on  Gen.  14.  15. 

24.  Ye  have  taken  away  my  gods, 
which  Imade,  &c.  That  is,  the  whole 
apparatus  of  my  images,  teraphim, 
&c.  made  as  representatives  of  di- 
vine things,  and  symbols  of  the  di- 
vine presence.  With  all  his  gross 
superstition,  it  is  not  conceivable 
that  a  native  Israelite  should  have 
become  at  this  time  so  besotted  by 
his  idolatrous  propensities  as  to  sup- 
pose that  the  fabrication  of  his  own 
hands  was  really  the  great  Jehovah 
that  made  heaven  and  earth.  IT 
Wiat  have  I  more.  What  have  you 
left  me  worth  having,  compared  with 
the  image  and  the  priest  of  which 
you  have  so  perfidiously  deprived 
me'?  Such  ardent,  but  infatuated 
and  wicked  zeal  could  Micah  evince 
in  respect  to  the  objects  of  his  idol- 
atry. How  many  that  bear  the 
name  of  Christians  are  shamed  by 
such  an  instance  of  deep  bat  guilty 
devotion  1  How  lightly  do  they 
bear  the  loss  or  the  absence  of  the 


and  the  priest,  and  ye  are  gone 
away  :  and  wliat  have  I  more  ? 
and  what  is  this  that  ye  say 
unto  me,  What  aileth  thee? 

25  And  the  children  of  Dan 
said  unto  him,  Let  not  thy  voice 
be  heard  among  us,  lest  angry 
fellows  run  upon  thee,  and  thou 
lose  thy  life,  with  the  lives  of  thy 
household. 

26  And  the  children  of  Dan 
went  their  way  :  and  when  Mi- 
most  precious  spiritual  privileges 
compared  with  that  of  their  worldly 
possessions  '?  It  is  when  they  are 
bereft  of  these,  and  not  of  the  light  of 
God"s  countenance  and  the  hidden 
joys  of  the  Spirit,  that  they  exclaim, 
What  have  I  more  '? 

25.  Lest  angry  felloii's.  Heb.  'men 
bitter  of  spirit.'  The  genuine  lan- 
guage of  lawless  banditti,  who  an- 
swer the  plea  of  right,  with  no  other 
argument  than  the  exhibition  of  su- 
perior might.  By  this  we  are  re- 
minded, (1.)  That 'hey  who  dare  to 
commit  theft  will  be  easily  induced, 
if  needful  to  secure  their  ill-gotten 
spoil,  to  commit  murder  also.  (2.) 
'That  where  power  is  with  unprin- 
cipled oppressors,  to  complain  of  in- 
justice is  often  only  to  provoke  far- 
ther injury. 

26.  He  turned  and  went  back  unto 
his  house.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  a  wiser 
and  better  man;  having  now  had 
experimental  proof  of  the  vanity  of 
the  idols  with  which  he  is  compelled 
to  part.  But  whatever  the  event 
may  have  taught  him,  it  is  pregnant 
with  instruction  to  us.  In  the  straits 
to  which  Micah  was  driven,  we  per- 
ceive a  striking  illustration  of  the 
issue  of  the  fatal  delusions  of  ungod- 
ly men.  Their  false  confidences 
will  be  abolished,  their  refuges  of 
lies  all  swept  away.  The  religion  in 
which  they  now  so  sanguinely  trust 
will  be  proved  a  baseless  fabric. 
No  foundation  will  then  stand  but 
that  which  God  himself  has  laid,  nor 
will  any  superstruciure  endure  but 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


375 


cah  saw  that  they  7vere  too  strong 
for  him,  he  turned  and  went  back 
unto  his  house. 

27  And  they  took  the  tilings 
which  Micah  had  made,  and  ttie 
priest  which  he  had,  and  "^came 
unto  Laish,  unto  a  people  that 
were  at  quiet  and  secure  :  *and 
and  they  smote  them  with  the 
edge  of  the  sword,  and  burnt  the 
city  with  fire. 

28  And  there  was  no  deliv- 
erer, because  it  was  ^far  from 

d  ver.  7,  10.   Deut.  33.  22.     e  Josh.  19.  47.     f  ter.  7" 

that  which  is  able  to  abide  a  fiery- 
ordeal.  The  law  which  they  were 
disposed  to  reduce  to  their  own 
standard  will  then  be  found  to  be 
immutable,  and  the  religion  of  the 
Bible,  which  in  Us  true  sense  they 
have  rejected,  the  only  means  of  "a 
sinner's  acceptance  with  God.  Their 
forced  interpretations  of  the  sac- 
red text,  and  their  self-complacent 
schemes  of  salvation  will  avail 
them  nothing.  As  a  necessary  con- 
sequence, their  destitution  and  mi.s- 
ery  will  then  be  complete.  '  Ye 
have  taken  away  my  gods,  and  what 
have  I  left  V  may  then  be  consider- 
ed as  the  bitter  lamentation  of  every 
deluded  soul.  In  vain  now  is  the 
ready  plea,  '  I  thought  I  was  right.' 
Why  did  they  rest  in  vain  conjec- 
tures'? Why  did  they  presume  to 
substitute  a  system  of  their  own  in 
place  of  that  which  God  had  reveal- 
ed'? Why  would  they  not  submit 
to  be  saved  in  God's  own  way  '?  Al- 
as! it  is  now  too  late  to  rectify  their 
error.  They  have  gone  down  to  dark- 
ness '  leaning  on  a  lie,'  They  have 
walked  in  the  light  of  the  sparks 
which  they  themselves  have  kindled, 
and  as  a  recompense  in  the  same, 
they  lie  down  in  sorrow.  Let  us  away 
then  with  all  systems  of  man's  de- 
vice in  the  great  matter  of  salvation. 
Let  us  at  once  and  cordially  embrace 
the  whole  true  gospel  of  the  grace 
of  God,  and  we  have  a  portion  of 


Zidon,  and  they  had  no  business 
with  any  man  ;  and  it  was  in  the 
valley  that  lieih  sby  Beth-rehob. 
And  they  built  a  city,  and  dwelt 
therein. 

29  And  ^they  called  the  name 
of  the  city  ^Dan,  alter  the  name 
of  Dan  their  father,  who  was 
born  unto  Israel  :  howbeit  the 
name  of  the  city  was  Laish  at 
the  first. 

30  IT  And  the  children  of  Dan 
set   up  the  graven  iiTiage  :   and 

g  Num.  13.21.  2Sam.  10.6.    h  Josh.  19  47.    iG«r. 
l4.  14.    ch.  20.  1.    1  Kings  12.  29,  30.  &  15.  20- 


which  we  can  never  be  robbed. 
Who  can  spoil  us  of  our  God"?  or 
what  can  we  want  if  we  have  him 
for  our  friend"? 

27.  Came  unto  Laish,  unto  a  peo- 
ple, &c.  Rather,  came  upon  Laish 
(p5)  not  ^5^),  upon  a  people  ;  i.  e.  in 
a  hostile  manner,  making  a  fierce 
attack  upon  them.  IT  Burnt  the 
city  with  fire.  That  is,  probably,  a 
part  of  it  not  the  whole ;  as  the 
phrase  clearly  implies  elsewhere. 
See  on  Josh.  8.  8.  This  measure 
was  doubtless  adopted  to  strike  a 
greater  terror  into  the  inhabitants, 
and  to  make  their  conquest  more  se- 
cure. 

28.  And  they  built  a  city.  Heb. 
'  and  they  built  the  city ;'  i.  e.  rebuilt 
it ;  or  at  least  so  much  of  it  as  was 
destroyed  by  the  fire. 

29.  Called  the  name  of  the  city  Dan. 
To  be  a  witness  for  them  that  they 
were  Danites  by  birth,  though  re- 
mov^ed  to  so  great  a  distance  from 
their  brethren.  As  this  fact  might 
possibly  in  after  times  be  called  in 
question,  they  would  make  the  very 
name  of  their  place  a  ground  on 
which  to  establish  their  claim  to  re- 
lationship. '  We  should  be  con- 
cerned not  to  lose  the  privilege  of 
our  relation  to  God's  Israel,  and 
therefore  should  take  all  occasionsto 
own  it,  and  preserve  the  remem- 
brance of  it  to  ours  after  us.'  Henry. 
This  city  became  afterwards  very 


376 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


Jonathan,  the  son  of  Gershom, 
the  son  of  Manasseh,  he  and  his 
sons  were  priests  to  the  tribe  of 


remarkable  as  one  of  the  extremities 
of  the  promised  land.  The  extent 
of  the  Israelitish  territory  from  its 
northern  to  its  southern  border  was 
generally  expressed  by  the  phrase, 
'From  Dan  to  Beersheba,' 

30.  The  children  of  Dan  set  up  the 
graven  image.  Thus  was  idolatry 
first  publicly  established  in  Israel. 
It  began  in  the  tribe  and  city  of  Dan, 
from  which  it  gradually  spread  like 
an  evil  contagion,  and  though 
checked  from  time  to  time  by  pious 
rulers,  yet  it  eventually  infected 
nearly  the  whole  nation.  As  a  mark 
of  the  divine  indignation  towards  the 
prime  agents  of  this  wickedness, 
Lighlfoot  suggests  that  in  the  mys- 
tical sealing  of  the  tribes  mentioned 
Rev.  7,  that  of  Dan  is  entirely  omit- 
ted. It  may  also  be  supposed  that 
having  had  the  precedent  now  set, 
Jeroboam  was  encouraged  after- 
wards to  establish  the  idolatrous 
worship  of  one  of  his  golden  calves 
at  this  very  place.  IT  Jonathan,  the 
son  of  Gershom,  the  son  of  Manasseh. 
It  is  conjectured  by  many  expositors 
that  instead  of  Manasseh  (i-;2:D?2)  the 
true  reading  is  Moses  (nu:?3))  which 
differs  it  will  be  perceived  only  by  a 
single  letter;  and  this  letter  (;),  it  is 
supposed,  the  Jews  have  interpolated 
in  order  to  save  the  credit  of  their 
great  lawgiver  and  prophet.  The 
singular  name  of  Gershom,  the  name 
of  one  of  Moses'  sons  and  the  date  of 
the  transaction  concur,  it  is  said,  in 
establishing  this  view.  Accordingly 
the  Vulgate  and  some  copies  of  the 
Septuagint  actually  exhibit  the  name 
of  'Moses'  instead  of  'Manasseh.' 
The  interpolation,  however,  has 
been  very  timidly  executed.  The 
letter  3  was  originally  placed  above 
the  line  of  the  other  letters  (as  it  now 
appears  in  the  printed  Hebrew 
Bibles,)  as  if  rather  to  suggest,  than 
to  make  an  alteration  ;  but  in  process 
of  time  the  letter  sunk  down  into  the 


Dan  "^until  the  day  of  the  captiv- 
ity  of  the  land. 

31  And  they  set  them  up  Mi. 

k  ch.  13.  1.     1  Sam.  4.  2,  3,  10,  11.     Ps.  78.  60,  61. 


body  of  the  word.  The  Hebrew 
writers  themselves  admit  this ;  and 
say  that  the  intention  was  to  veil 
this  disgrace  in  the  house  of  Moses, 
by  suggesting  a  figurative  descent  of 
Jonathan  from  Manasseh,  the  idol- 
atrous king  of  Judah  nho  lived  about 
eight  hundred  years  afterwards !  Bp. 
Patrick  and  others  are  disposed  to 
rank  this  among  the  idle  conceits  of 
the  Jewish  critics,  but  for  ourselves, 
without  positively  adopting  the  opin- 
ion, we  think  it  by  no  means  improb- 
able. The  most  excellent  charac- 
ters are  often  but  badly  represented 
by  their  descendants.  Children  are 
not  always  the  crown  of  old  men, 
any  more  than  fathers  are  always  the 
glory  of  their  children.  The  point, 
however,  is  one  of  little  importance. 
IT  Until  the  day  of  the  captivity  of  the 
land.  Probably  the  captivity  of  the 
ten  tribes  by  Shalmaneser  king  of 
Assyria.  If  so,  this  passage  is  to  be 
considered  as  an  addition  made  by  a 
later  hand,  of  which  there  are  nu- 
merous acknowledged  instances  in 
the  books  of  the  Old  Testament. 

31.  All  the  time  that  the  house  of 
God  was  in  Shilo.  Not  that  its  con- 
tinuance there  was  limited  to  the 
period  now  specified,  as  this  would 
be  inconsistent  with  what  is  affirmed 
in  the  preceding  verse  ;  but  it  seems 
to  be  stated  as  a  remarkable  and  dis- 
creditable fact,  that  even  during  all 
the  time  that  the  true  tabernacle  and 
altar  were  standing  at  Shilo,  and  not- 
withstanding the  reforming  efforts 
of  all  the  .Tudges,  yet  here  was  a 
rival  establishment  of  an  idolatrous 
character  subsisting  in  the  face  of 
aJl  the  injunctions  made  against  it! 
Probably  the  remote  situation  of  Dan 
on  the  extreme  borders  of  the  coun- 
try put  it  in  a  measure  out  of  the 
reach  of  those  influences  which 
would  otherwise  have  gone  to  extir- 
pate the  abominations  which  it  cher- 
ished. 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


377 


cah's  graven  image  which  he 
made,  'all  the  time  that  the  house 
of  God  was  in  Shiloh. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
A  ND  it  came  to  pass  in  those 
-^^  days,  ''when  there  was  no 
king  in  Israel,  that  there  was  a 
certain  Levite  sojourning  on  the 
side  of  mount  Ephraim,  who  took 
to  him  a  concubine  out  of ''Beth- 
lehem judah. 

2  And  his  concubine  played 
the  whore  against  him,  and  went 
away  from  him  unto  her  father's 
house  to  Beth-lehem-judah,  and 
was  there  four  whole  months. 

3  And  her  husband  arose,  and 
went  after  her,  to  speak  friendly 
unto  her,  and  to  bring  her  again, 
having  his  servant  with  him,  and 
a  couple  of  asses :  and  she 
brought  him  into  her  father's 
house  :  and  when  the  father  of 
the  damsel  saw  him,  he  rejoiced 
to  meet  him. 

1  Josh.  18   1.      ch   19.  18.  &  21.  12.        a  ch.  17.  6.  & 
18.  1.  &  n.  25.          b  ch.  17  7. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

1.  Ajid  it  came  to  pass,  &c.  The 
tragical  tale  that  follows  seems  to  be 
inserted  here  in  order  to  afford  a 
melancholy  illustration  of  the  dis- 
orders which  sprung  from  the  lack 
of  due  restraint.  In  the  absence  of 
an  efficient  magistracy,  confusion 
and  every  evil  work  prevailed.  IT 
l^ook  to  him  a  co7icubine.  Heb.  '  a 
woman,  a  concubine,'  or  *  a  wife,  a 
concubine;'  or,  as  Geddes  renders 
it,  '  a  concubine-wife  ;'  i.  e.  a  lawful 
but  a  secondary  wife  ;  as  in  v.  3,  he 
is  expressly  called  her  'husband,' 
and  V.  4.  her  father  his  father-in- 
law.  Such  connections  were  not 
disreputable  in  those  times,  being 
tolerated  in  the  law  and  connten- 
aaced  by  the  practice  of  the  best  of 


4  And  his  father-in-law,  the 
damsel's  father,  retained  him ; 
and  he  abode  with  him  three 
days  :  so  they  did  eat  and  drink, 
and  lodged  there. 

5  H  And  it  came  to  pass  on 
the  fourth  day,  when  they  arose 
early  in  the  mornino-,  that  he 
rose  up  to  depart  :  and  the  dam- 
sel's father  said  unto  his  son-in- 
law,  "^Comfort  thy  heart  with  a 
morsel  of  bread,  and  afterward 
go  your  way. 

6  And  they  sat  down,  and  did 
eat  and  drink  both  of  them  to- 
gether :  for  the  damsel's  father 
had  said  unto  the  man,  Be  con- 
tent, I  pray  thee,  and  tarry  all 
night,  and  let  thy  heart  be 
merry. 

7  And  when  the  man  rose  up 
to  depart,  his  father-in-law  urged 
him  :  therefore  he  lodged  there 
again. 

8  And  he  arose  early  in  the 
morning  on  the  fifth  day  to  de- 

c  Gen.  18.  5. 


men.    It  is  a  great  mistake  to  con- 
ceive of  a  concubine  as  a  harlot. 

3,  To  speak  friendly  unto  her. 
Heb. '  to  speak  to  her  heart;'  that  is, 
to  conciliate  her  affection,  to  re- 
kindle her  tenderness,  and  to  entreat 
her  to  return  to  the  home  she  had 
left  cheerless.  Comp.  Gen.  34.  3. — 
50.21.  Ruth  2  13.  The  phrase  is 
commonly  applied  to  speaking  com- 
fortably to  one  that  is  in  distress  or 
sorrow,  and  may  perhaps  here  im- 
ply that  the  woman  was  penitent 
and  grieved  for  her  offences.  ^Re- 
joiced to  meet  him  Hoping  that  now 
a  complete  reconciliation  would  be 
effected  between  his  daughter  and 
her  husband. 

4.  And  lodged  there.  That  is,  the 
Levite  and  his  servant.    It  would 


378 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


part :  and  the  damsel's  father 
said,  Comfort  thy  heart,  I  pray 
thee.  And  they  tarried  until  af- 
ternoon, and  they  did  eat  both  of 
them. 

9  And  when  the  man  rose  up 
to  depart,  he,  and  his  concubine, 
and  his  servant,  his  father-in-law 
the  dams(  Ts  father,  said  unto 
him,  Behold,  now  the  day  draw- 
eth  toward  evening,  I  pray  you 
tarry  all  night ;  behold,  the  day 
groweth  to  an  end,  lodge  here, 
that  thy  heartmay  bemerry;  and 
to-morrow  get  you  early  on  your 
way,  that  thou  mayest  go  home. 

10  But  the  man  would  not 
tarry  that  night,  but  he  rose  up 


scarcely  be  said  of  the  falher-in-law 
that  he  lodged  in  his  own  house. 

5,  Comfort  thine  heart  with  a  mor- 
sel of  bread.  Heb.  '  strengthen  thine 
heart;'  i  e.  refresh  thy  spirits. 

8  They  tarried  until  afternoon. 
Heb.  '  till  the  day  declined.'  The 
original  for  '  tarried'  (in?3r:):rn) 
implies  a  reluctant  delay,  a  forced 
compliance  with  urgent  solicitations, 
and  the  issue  of  the  affair  teaches 
us  very  impressively  the  daager, 
as  well  as  the  weakness  of  suf- 
fering ourselves  to  be  overcome 
by  pressing  importunity  against  the 
convictions  of  our  better  judgment. 
The  hospitable  entertainment  and 
agreeable  society  of  friends  is  indeed 
a  strong  inducement  to  protract  a 
visit,  but  no  man  should  forget  that 
he  has  calls  at  home  of  paramount 
claim,  and  that  there  is  a  limit  be- 
yond which  complaisance  is  at  war 
■wiih  duty,  and  where  we  should 
turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  most  urgent 
requests.  The  warm-hearted  and 
friendly  entertainer  too  should  re- 
member that  his  intended  kindness 
when  too  far  urged  may  prove  a 
real  injury  to  its  objects,  ana  should 


and  departed,  and  came  over 
against  ''Jebus,  which  is  Jerusa- 
lem  :  and  there  were  with  him 
two  asses  saddled,  his  concubine 
also  was  with  him. 

11  And  when  they  were  by 
Jebus,  the  day  was  far  spent ; 
and  the  servant  said  unto  his 
master.  Come  I  pray  thee,  and 
let  us  turn  in  unto  this  city  ^of 
the  Jebusites,  and  lodge  in  it. 

12  And  his  master  said  unto 
him,  We  will  not  turn  aside 
hither  into  the  city  of  a  stranger, 
that  is  not  of  the  children  of  Isra- 
el ;  we  will  pass  over  ^to  Gib- 
eah. 

13  And  he  said  unto  his  ser- 

ri  Josh.  18.  28.      •  Josh.  15.  8,  63.  ch.  1.  21.     2  Sam. 
5.6.    f Josh.  18.23. 

therefore  moderate  its  promptings 
by  reason  and  religion.  It  is  alto- 
gether probable  that  the  fearful  ca- 
lamity which  overtook  this  unfor- 
tunate couple  would  have  been 
avoided  had  they  been  less  urged, 
or,  when  urged,  had  they  acted  with 
more  decision. 

9.  The  day  draweth  towards  even- 
ing. Heb.  '  the  day  is  weak,  is  be- 
come relaxed,  remiueth  itself  The 
phrase  points  to  a  time  of  day  the 
opposite  of  what  is  termed.  Gen  29. 
7,  '  high  day,'  i.  e.  the  hour  when 
the  heat  of  the  day  has  attained  its 
utmost  intensity,  when  it  has  reach- 
ed the  meridian.  IT  The  day  grow- 
eth to  an  end.  Heb.  tr\'^r[  rHj)!  '  it 
is  the  pitching  time  of  day  ;'  i.  e.  it 
is  near  the  time  when  travellers  or- 
dinarily pitch  their  tents  and  take 
up  their  lodging  for  the  night.  IT 
Mayest  go  home.     Heb.  '  to  thy  tent.' 

12.  Into  the  city  of  a  stranger. 
That  is,  of  a  strange  or  foreign  peo- 
ple ;  for  though  the  city  of  Jerusa- 
lem had  been  before  taken  by  Caleb, 
ch.  1.  8,  yet  the  strong-hold  of  Zion 
was  still  in  the  hands  of  the  Jebu- 
sites, who  were  not  fully  dispossess- 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


379 


vant,  Come,  and  let  us  draw 
near  to  one  of  these  places  to 
lodge  all  night,  in  Gibeah,  or  in 
eRamah. 

14  And  they  passed  on  and 
went  their  way ;  and  the  sun 
went  down  upon  them  when  they 
were  by  Gibeah.  which  belongeth 
to  Benjamin. 

15  And  they  turned  aside 
thither,  to  go  in  and  to  lodge  in 
Gibeah  :  and  when  he  went  in, 
he  sat  him  down  in  a  street  of 
the  city  :  for  there  loas  no  man 
that  htook  them  into  his  house  to 
lodging. 

g  Josli.  IS.  25.        h  Matt.  25.  43.      Heb   13  2. 

ed  till  the  days  of  David.  The  event, 
however,  showed  that  he  could 
scarcely  have  fared  loorse.  among 
the  most  barbarous  hordes  of  Ca- 
naanites  than  he  did  among  his  own 
brethren.  In  all  probability  he 
would  have  done  better  to  have  fol- 
lowed his  servant's  advice. 

13.  In,  Gibeah  or  in  Rainah.  These 
places  were  both  north  or  rather 
north-west  from  Jerusalem,  and  dis- 
tant, the  former  about  four  miles, 
the  latter  about  six. 

15.  No  man  that  took  them  into  his 
house  to    lodging.      Heb.  '^:i5^  p5< 

ClDH^O  ^^  '^^^i  gathering.  On  the 
expressive  import  of  this  phrase  see 
on  Josh.  6.  9.  It  seems  that  up  to 
this  time  no  caravansaries  or  inns, 
in  which  travellers  now  obtain  lodg- 
ings in  the  East,  existed.  At  least 
we  have  met  with  no  certain  traces 
of  the  existence  of  such  accommoda- 
tions. Strangers,  therefore,  relied 
entirely  on  private  hospitality  for 
entertainment  in  the  places  to  which 
they  came,  as  is  still  the  case  in 
many  parts  of  the  East.  Under 
these  circumstances  such  an  inhos- 
pitable reception  as  that  which  the 
Levite  now  experienced  is  of  very 
rare  occurrence,  and  can  only  be 
explained  on  the  ground  of  the  pre- 


16  IT  And  behold,  there  came 
an  old  man  from  'his  work  out 
of  the  field  at  even,  which  was 
also  of  mount  Ephraim  ;  and  he 
sojourned  in  Gibeah  ;  but  the 
men  of  the  place  were  Benja- 
mites. 

17  And  when  he  had  lifted  up 
his  eyes,  he  saw  a  wayfaring 
man  in  the  street  of  the  city  : 
and  the  old  man  said,  Whither 
goest  thou  ?  and  whence  comest 
thou  ? 

18  And  he  said  unto  him,  We 
are  passing  from  Beth-lehem-ju- 
dah  toward   the  side   of  mount 


eminently  vile  and  abandoned  char- 
I  aciei  of  the  citizens  ^f  G'beah.  The 
general  cuui  ieousncss  uf  the  Orien- 
tals in  this  respect  is  well  set  forth 
in  the  language  of  Job,  31.  32.  '  The 
stranger  did  not  lodge  in  the  street; 
but  I  opened  my  doors  to  the  travel- 
ler.' 

16.  There  came  an  old  man  from 
his  work  out  of  the  field  at  even.  Had 
all  the  inhabitants  of  Gibeah  been  of 
the  stamp  of  this  good  old  Israelite, 
in  whom  we  see  such  a  pleasing 
specimen  of  patriarchal  times,  as  he 
returns  at  evening  from  his  daily 
toil,  so  gross  and  horrid  a  deed  of 
wickednesss  would  not  have  dis- 
graced their  city.  But  it  may  well 
be  doubted  whether  he  were  not  the 
only  laborer  whom  this  evening 
brought  home  from  the  field,  and  as 
the  virtues  usually  go  together, '  he,' 
as  Henry  remarks,  '  who  was  hon- 
estly diligent  in  his  business  all  day, 
was  disposed  to  be  generously  hos- 
pitable to  these  poor  strangers  £t 
n  ight.'  IT  Which  was  also  of  mow,  t 
Ephraim.  '  Gibeah  was  a  second  Sod- 
om ;  even  there  also  is  another  Lot ; 
which  is  therefore  so  much  more  hos- 
pitable to  strangers,  because  himself 
was  a  stranger.  The  host,  as  well 
as  the  Levite,  is  of  mount  Ephraim; 
each  man  knows  best  to  commis- 


380 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


Ephraim ;  from  thence  a7n  I : 
and  1  went  to  Betb-lehem-judah, 
but  i  am  now  going  to  Hha  house 
of  the  Lord  ;  and  there  is  no 
man  that  receiveth  me  to  house. 
19  Yet  there  is  both  straw 
and    provender   for   our   asses ; 

k  Josh.  18.  1.     ch.  18   3"     &  20.  18.     1  Sam.  1    3,  7. 

erate  that  evil  in  others  which  him- 
self haih  passed  through.  All  that 
profess  the  name  of  Christ  are  coun- 
trymen and  yet  strangers  here  below. 
How  cheerfully  should  ve  enter- 
tain each  other,  when  we  meet  in 
the  Gibeah  of  this  inhospitable 
world.'     Bp.  Hall. 

18.  No  vmii  that  receiveth  mc  to 
house.  Heb.  iri^i^  qDi*72  ^'^^^  S^^^- 
eth  me ;  the  same  phrase  with  that 
above,  v.  15. 

19.  Both  sfrav)  and  provender,  &c. 
Intimating  that  it  was  not  necessary 
for  him  to  tax  the  hospitality  of  any 
one  except  for  lodging.       He  had 
abundance  of  provision  of  his  own, 
both  for  himself  and  his  asses.    In 
entering  upon  a  journey,  the  Orien- 
tals lay  in  a  supply  of  food  for  the 
beasts  with  which  they  travel  as  well 
as  for  themselves.     This  food  is  of 
different  t-.inds.     They  make   little 
or  no  hay  in  these  countries,  and  are 
therefore  very  careful  of  their  straw, 
which  they  cut  into  small  bits,  with 
an  instrument  which  at  the  same 
time  threshes  out  the  corn  ;  (grain) 
this  chopped    straw,    with    barley, 
beans,  and  balls  made  of  bran  and 
barley  meal,  or  of  the  pounded  ker- 
nels of  dates,  is  what  they  feed  them 
with.    '  People  (in  the   East)    still 
carry  provisions  with  them    in    a 
journey,  even  through    a    peopled 
country.     No  one  calculates  on  ob- 
taining, unless  in  very  great  towns, 
more  than    house-room,    with    the 
chance  of  being  able  to  buy  bread 
and  fruit.     It  is  not  certain  that  even 
biead  can  be  procured,  and  not  to 
leave  the  matter  entirely  to  chance, 
the  traveller  usually  takes  from  one 
great  town  to  another,  so  much  bread 
as  will  serve  him  intermediately.   If 


and  there  is  bread  and  wine  also 
for  me,  and  for  thy  handmaid, 
and  lor  the  young  man  which  is 
with  thy  servants  :  there  is  no 
want  of  any  thing. 

20    And    the    old    man   said, 
iPeace  he  with  thee  ;  howsoever, 

1  Gen.  43.  23.    ch.  6.  23. 

he  desires  better  fare  than  he  is  like- 
ly thus  to  ob.ain,  he  takes  with  him 
cooking  utensils,  rice,  vegetables, 
preserved  meat,  butter,  &c.,  and  at 
the  resting  place  for  the  day  has  a 
warm  meal  prepared  by  a  servant  or 
himself,  from  his  own  stores  and 
with  his  own  utensils.  We  have 
known  a  single  traveller  accompa- 
nied by  a  mule,  exclusively  laden 
with  his  bedding,  provisions,  and 
cooking  vessels.  It  is  within  the 
writers  own  experience,  that  in  a 
journey  of  more  than  a  fortnight 
through  a  comparatively  well-peo- 
pled part  of  Western  Asia,  it  was 
not  possible  more  than  twice  (in  two 
great  towns)  to  obtain  other  food  than 
bread  and  fruit,  and  often  this  not 
without  much  difficulty,  and  some- 
times not  at  all.'     {Pict.  Bible. 

20.  Let  all  thy  wants  lie  upon  me. 
This  is  not  inconsistent  with  the 
Levite's  assertion  in  the  preceding 
verse  that  there  was  'no  want  of  any 
thing.'  The  original  signifies  de- 
fect, lack,  and  the  Levite  said,  that 
although  he  was  .supplied  with  every 
thing  else,  yet  he  did  lack  a  lodging 
place.  His  kind  entertainer  here 
tells  him  to  dismiss  all  care,  for  he 
would  take  it  upon  him  to  see  that 
his  deficiency  in  this  and  every  other 
respect  should  be  supplied,  q.  d. 
Keep  your  bread  and  wine,  your 
straw  and  provender  for  your  own 
and  your  asses'  use;  you  may  need 
them  before  you  finish  your  journey ; 
I  will  provide  for  all  your  wants 
this  night;  therefore  do  not  think  of 
lodging  in  the  street.'  Thiswasgen- 
erosiiy  worthy  of  an  Israelite.  IT 
Lod<re  not  in  the  street.  Unless  they 
had  "bedding,  which  travellers  often 
carry  with  them,  this  would  not  have 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


381 


let  all  thy  wants  lie  upon  me  ; 
'"only  lodge  not  in  the  street. 

21  "So  he  brouo;ht  him  into 
his  house,  and  gave  provender 
unto  the  asses  :  "and  they  washed 
their  feet,  and  did  eat  and  drink. 

2i  H  Now  as  t[)ey  were 
making  their  hearts  merry,  be- 
hold, Pthe  men  of  the  city,  cer- 
tain  ^sons  of  Belial,  beset  the 
Iiouse  round  about,  and  beat  at 
the  door,  and  spake  to  the  mas- 
ter of  the  house,  the  old  man, 
saying,  ■'Bring  forth  the  man 
that  came  into  thy  house,  that 
we  may  know  him. 

23  And  Hhe  man,  the  master 

m  Gen.  19  2.  n  Gen  24  32.  &  43.  24.  o  Gen 
18.4.  Jo,,,  13  5.  pG-n  IJ  4.  cli.  20  5.  Hos. 
9.  9.  &  10.  9.  q  Deiil.  13.  13.  r  Gen.  19.  5.  Rom 
1.  26,27.         sGtn.  19   6,  7. 

been  convenient ;  and  it  would  be 
thoiighl  disgraceful  to  the  character 
of  a  town,  to  allow  a  stranger  accom- 
panied by  his  wife,  to  do  so  even 
then.  But  in  other  respects,  lodging 
in  the  streets  of  a  town,  is  a  less  sin- 
gular circumstance  in  the  East  than 
it  would  seem  to  us  in  England. 
When  the  Bedouin  Arabs  visit  a 
town,  they  usually  prefer  sleeping 
at  night  in  the  street  to  sleeping  in  a 
house.  So  also,  when  a  person  walks 
through  the  streets  of  Malta  in  the 
nights  of  summer,  he  finds  the  foot- 
pavements  obstructed  by  beds,  occu- 
pied by  married  couples  and  single 
people.  These  belong  to  shop-keep- 
ers and  others,  who  rent  the  ground- 
floors,  and  having  no  right  to  take 
their  beds  to  the  roof,  bringthem  out 
into  the  street  to  enjoy  the  luxurv  of 
sleeping  in  the  cool  open  air.'  {Pict. 
Bible.) 

22  Making  their  hearts  merry. 
Refreshing  themselves  with  the  pro- 
visions set  before  them.  It  does  not 
necessarily  convey  the  idea  of  ban- 
queting and  revelry.  IT  Sons  of 
Belial.     Vile,  abandoned,  profligate  I 


of  the  house,  went  out  unto  them , 
and  said  unto  them.  Nay,  my 
brethren,  nay,  I  pray  you,  do 
not  50  wickedly  ;  seeing  that 
this  man  is  come  into  my  house, 
tdo  not  this  folly. 

24  "  Behold,  here  is  my  daugh- 
ter, a  maiden,  and  his  concubine  ; 
them  I  will  bring  out  now,  and 
^humble  ye  them,  and  do  with 
them  what  seemeth  good  unto 
you  ;  but  unto  this  man  do  not 
so  vile  a  thing. 

25  But  the  men  would  not 
hearken  to  him :  so  the  man 
took  his  concubine,  and  brought 
her  forth,  unto  them  ;  and  they 

t2Sam   13    12,         u  Gen.  19-  8.  x  Gen.  31.  2. 

Deut.  21.  14. 


on  Deut.  13  13.  IF  Beat  at  the 
door.  Rendered  '  beat '  in  order  to 
imply  something  more  than  simply 
knocking.  The  origin  I  has  the 
import  of  an  earnest,  eager,  violent 
assault  of  the  door.  ^\ Bring  forth 
the  man,  &c.  This  demand,  and 
indeed  the  whole  of  the  incidents 
here  mentioned,  have  a  striking  re- 
semblance to  the  affair  of  Lot  and  the 
Sodomites.  Under  the  ambiguous 
term  '  know'  these  sons  of  Belial  in 
each  instance,  convey  a  sense  in  the 
last  degree  abominable  and  brutal, 
and  in  each  instance  the  father 
makes  a  proposal  which  the  ex- 
tremest  ca.se  could  not  justify, 

25.  The  man  took  his  concubine , 
and  brought  her  forth.  The  conduct 
of  the  Levite  in  this  transaction  is 
utterly  inexplicable.  His  going 
after  her  to  her  father's  house  would 
indicate  that  he  still  cherished  to- 
wards her  a  real  affection,  and  he 
appears  thus  far  along  the  journey 
to  have  treated  her  with  every  kind- 
ness. Yet  now  in  the  hour  of  dan- 
ger, apparently  to  save  his  own  life, 
he  determines  to  sacrifice  her.    He 


fellows ;    men  lost  to  all  sense  of  i  suffered  her  to  be  brought  out  and 
right,  honor,  and  decency.    See  note  |  exposed  to  these  fiends  in  huma^ 
33 


382 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


yknew  her,  and  abused  her  all 
the  night  until  the  morning  :  and 
when  the  day  began  to  spring, 
they  let  her  go. 

26  Then  came  the  woman  in 
the  dawning  oC  the  day,  and  f^ll 
down  at  the  door  of  the  man's 
house  where  her  lord  was,  till  it 
was  light. 

27  And  her  lord  rose  up  in 
the  morning,  and  opened  the 
doors  ot  the  house,  and  went  out 
to  go  his  way  :  and  behold,  the 

y  Gen.  •}.  \. 

shape,  while  he,  it  would  seem,  se- 
cure from  harm  either  sits  down  or 
lies  down  in  calm  indifference  to  her 
faie.     We  infer   this   from    its  not 
being    intimated  that  he   made  the 
least  inquiry  respecting  her  during 
the  night,  but '  rose  up' — (could  it  be 
from   his  bed  7) — 'in   the  morning, 
and  opened  the  doors  of  the  house, 
and  went  out  to  go  his  way,'  as  if  he 
did  not  once  think  what  had  become 
of  his  unhappy  companion,  but  de- 
signed to  set  forward  alone !  It  would 
seem  that  it  was  only  by  stumbling 
upon  her  lifeless  corpse  at  the  door 
that  he  was  reminded  of  there  being 
such  a  person  either  living  or  dead 
And  even  admitting  he  thought  her 
alive   as  she  lay  prostrate  on    the 
ground,  how  unfeeling,  how  inhu- 
man his  address  !  '  Up,  and  let  us  be 
going.'     Cmdd  he  thus  rudely  accost 
a  tender  female  who,  for  his  sake, 
had  submitted  through  the  live-long 
night  to  the  most  savage  brutalities, 
if  he  possessed  the  common  feelings 
of  a  man'?   Suppose  he  thought  her 
asleep;  yet  we  ask,  would  he  have 
felt  no  emotions  of  surprise,  of  grief, 
of  pain,  to  find  her  sleeping  in  svxh 
a  place    and    in    s^tch    a    posture  1 
Would  he  not  anxiously  and  tenderly 
have  awakened  her,  and  inquired  of 
her  welfare'?  The    man's    conduct 
throughout  is  a  riddle,    which    we 
know  not  how  to  solve.     One  thing 
however  is  certain.    When  the  at- 
tack was  made  on  the  house,  the 


woman  his  concubine  was  fallen 
down  at  the  door  ol  the  house, 
and  her  hands  were  upon  the 
threshold. 

28  And  he  said  unto  her,  Up, 
and  let  us  be  going.  But  Hione 
answered.  Then  the  man  took 
her  uj)  upon  an  ass,  and  the  man 
rose  up,  and  gat  him  unto  his 
place. 

29  IT  And  when  he  was  come 
into  his  house,  he  took  a  knife, 
and  laid  hold  on  his  concubine. 


duty  of  the  inmates  was  to    have 
thrown  themselves  upon  the  protec- 
tion of  Providence  without  yielding 
an  iota  to  the  demandsot  the  detesta- 
ble ruffians  without.     If  they  could 
not  have    withstood  their  violence, 
but  must  have  been  overpowered  by 
superior    numbers,  they  had  better 
have  died  calling    upon    God    for 
mercy  than  to  have  basely  jeoparded 
the  lives  of  feeble  women  to  appease 
a   ferocious    rabble.       That    would 
have  been  the  pious  chivalry  of  true 
Israelites.     The  probability  we  think 
is,  that  Omnipotence  would  in  some 
way  have  interposed  for  their  rescue, 
27.    Was  jo  lien  down  at  the  door  of 
the  house.     While  we  cannot  but  be 
moved  with  deep  compassion  in  view 
of  the  hard  lot  and  the  miserable  end 
of  this  unhappy    woman,    yet    the 
righteous  judgment  of  God  is  not  to 
be   overlooked   in   this   her  closing 
scene.     She  had  sinned,  and  she  now 
suffers.     Though  her  father  and  her 
husband  had  both  forgiven  her,  yet 
God  remembered   against   her    her 
fault  when  she  was  consigned  to  the 
hands   of  these    ruthless    monsters. 
We  may  hope,  however,  though  it  be 
almost  hoping  against  hope,  that  her 
soul  was  touched  with  penitence  at 
the  eleventh  hour,  and  that  when  she 
fell  with  outstretched  arms  upon  the 
threshold  it  was  with  a  fervent  sup- 
plication for  the  divine  forgiveness. 
But  the  justice  of  God  in  this  melan- 
1  choly  event  does  by  no  means  exten- 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XX. 


383 


and  '^divided  her,  together  with 
her  bones,  into  twelve  pieces,  and 
sent  her  into  all  the  coasts  of 
Israel. 

30  And  it  was  so,  that  all  that 
saw  it,  said,  There  was  no  such 
deed  done  nor  seen  from  the  day 
that  the  children  of  Israel  came 

a  ch.  20.  6.  See  1  Sam.  11.  7. 


up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  unto 
this  day  :  consider  of  it,  ''take 
advice,  and  speak  your  minds. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
'pHEN  -all  the  children  of  Is- 
■■"   rael  went  out,  and  the  con- 
gregation  was  gathered  together 

b  ch.  20  7.     Prov.  13  10.        a  Deut.  13.  12.     Josh. 
22.12     ch.  21.  5.     ISara.  11.  7. 


uate  the  enormous  wickedness  of  ihe 
men  of  Gibeah  in  executing  it,  than 
which  nothing  could  be  more  barba- 
rous and  inhuman. 

29.  Divided  her — into  tiuelve pieces, 
and  sent  her,  &c.     It  is  to  be  pre- 
sumed that  with  the  pieces  he  sent  to 
each  tribe  a  circumstantial  account 
of  the  barbarity  of  the  men  of  Gibeah, 
which  had  deprived  him  of  his  wife. 
To  our  ideas  there    is    something 
peculiarly   shocking  in  the   proce- 
dure, but  it  was  doubtless  in  accord- 
ance with  the  notions  of  the  times, 
and  as  there  was  no  supreme  magis- 
trate to  whom  to  appeal  for  redress, 
it  was  probably  the  most  effectual 
method  of  rousing  the  nation  to  take 
up  the  Levite's  cause  as   one   that 
concerned  them  all.     It  was  a  meas- 
ure in  fact  that  seems  to  have  been 
considered  as    putting    the    twelve 
tribes  under  an  anathema,  and  sol- 
emnly  binding  them,    on    pain    of 
being  themselves  dealt  with  in  the 
same  manner,  to  avenge  the  horrible 
outrage.     The  whole  nation  accord- 
ingly instantly  understood  it  as  a 
universal  anathema,  and  entered  into 
an  indissoluble  covenant  to  see  jus- 
tice done    to    the    injured    Levite. 
This  appears  from  the  fact  of  the 
tribes  actually  taking  up  arms,  as 
they  did—from  their  swearing  before 
the  ark  not  to  return  to  their  tents  or 
into  their  houses,  till  they  had  pun- 
ished the  offenders,  ch.20.  8,9 — from 
their  putting  to  the  sword  all  that 
remained  in  Gibeah,  both  man  and 
beast,  and  burning  all  the  cities  and 
towns  of  Benjamin,  ch.  20.  48 — from 
their  swearing  with  an  imprecation 
not  to  give  their  daughters  in  mar- 


riage to  the  sons  of  Benjamin,  and 
cursing  him  who  should  do  so,  ch. 
21.  1—18— and  finally  from  their  en- 
gaging themselves  by  a  terrible  oath, 
to  kill  every  Israelite  who  should 
not  take  arms  against  the  Benjamites, 
ch.  21.  5.  These  are  all  marks  of  a 
solemn  act  of  anathema,  and  in  no 
other  light  can  the  transaction  be 
rightly  viewed.  See  '  Scripture 
Illustrations,'  p.  146 

30.  There  v:as  no  such  deed  done  nor 
seen,  &c.  Its  enormity  was  unpar- 
alleled, and  they  were  struck  dumb 
and  confounded,  as  it  were,  at  the 
bare  mention  of  it.  It  seems  accord- 
ingly to  have  passed  into  a  proverb  ; 
— '  They  have  deeply  corrupted 
themselves  as  in  ihe  days  of  Gibeah,^ 
Hos.  9.  9.  IT  Consider  of  it,  take 
advice,  and  speak  your  minds.  Heb. 
'  put  it  to  yourselves,  take  counsel 
upon  it,  and  speak.'  This  was  the 
prelude  to  the  council  held  and  the 
measures  adopted,  which  are  recited 
in  the  following  chapter. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

1.  From  Dan  even  to  Beersheba, 
ivilh  the  land  of  Gilead.  From  the 
utmost  borders  of  the  land  in  every 
direction.  By  the  land  of  Gilead  is 
meant  the  trans-Jordanic  region, 
where  were  planted  the  tribes  of 
Reuben  and  Gad  and  the  half  tribe 
of  Manasseh.  The  convention 
seems  not  to  have  been  summoned 
together  by  any  superintending  head, 
but  by  the  consent  and  agreement, 
as  it  were,  of  one  common  heart, 
prompted  by  a  holy  zeal  for  the  Lord 
of  hosts  and  the  honor  of  Israel. 
H  U7U0  the  Lord  in  Mizpeh.    The 


384 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


as  one  man,  from  ^Dan  even  to 
Beer-sheba,  with  the  land  of  Gi- 
lead,  unto  the  Lord  "in  Mizpeh. 
2  And  the  chief  of  all  the 
people,  even  of  all  the  tribes  of 
Israel,  presented  themselves  in 
the  assembly  of  the  people  of 
God,  four  hundred  thousand  foot- 
men  ^that  drew  sword. 

li  ch.  18.  29.  1  Sam.  3.  20.  2  Sam.  ?.  10.  &  24.  2- 
c  hidg.  iO.  17.  &  11.  11.  1  Sdin.  7.  5.  &  10.  17.  d  ch. 
h.  10. 


usual  import  of  the  phrase  nin"^  ^i^ 
to  ike  Lord  is  the  same  with  -n^c^ 
mn"'  before  the  Lord,  i.  e.  before  the 
tabernacle,  or  in  the  presence  of  the 
ark  of  the  covenant,  where  God  was 
wont  to  be  inquired  of  by  his  people. 
But  as  the  ark  was  now  at  Shiloh 
and  not  at  Mizpeh,  it  has  been  sup- 
posed by  many  commentators  that 
tlie  phrase  '  unto  or  before  the  Lord,' 
may  signify  simply  meeting  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  to  consult  him  and 
offer  up  prayers  and  supplications. 
But  although  it  is  true  that  God  is 
wherever  his  people  are  piously  as- 
sembled in  his  name,  yet  so  uniform 
throughout  the  Scriptures  is  the 
sense  of  the  phrase  given  above,  that 
Ave  are  averse  to  departing  from  it 
in  this  instance.  By  comparing  v. 
18,  it  would  appear  that  they  did  not 
immediately  resort  to  the  tabernacle, 
but  assembled  fir.st  at  Mizpeh  and 
thence  went  up  to  the  house  of  the 
Lord  either  at  Shiloh  or  Bethel. 
The  expression  however  '  were  gath- 
ered unto  the  Lord'  is  warranted  by 
the  fact,  that  it  formed  apart  of  their 
flan  to  consult  the  oracle  in  refer- 
ence to  their  present  expedition. 
The  Mizpeh  here  mentioned  was  a 
place  in  the  borders  of  Judah  and 
Benjamin  and  therefore  semetimes 
spoken  of  as  belonging  to  the  one 
and  sometimes  to  the  ofher,  Josh.  15. 
38  and  18.  26.  It  was  but  a  short 
distance  from  Shiloh. 

2.  The  chief  of  all  the  people,  even 
of  all  the  tribes  of  Israel.  The  orig- 
inal exhibits  a  very  remarkable 
phraseology; — 'The  corners  (ri"i:& 


3  (Now  the  children  of  Ben- 
jamin heard  that  the  children  of 
Israel  wfii'Q  gone  up  to  Mizpeh.) 
Then  said  the  children  of  Israel, 
Tell  us,  how  was  this  wicked- 
ness ? 

4  And  the  Levite,  the  husband 
of  the  woman  that  was  slain, 
answered  and  said,  *I  came  into 


pinnolh)  of  the  people,  all  the  tribes 
of  Israel,'  where  the  'corners'  or 
chiefs  of  the  people  are  identified 
with  the  tribes  themselves,  instead 
of  being  distinguished  from  them  as 
is  erroneously  done  in  our  transla- 
tion by  the  gratuitous  insertion  of 
the  word  '  of  before  '  all  the  tribes.' 
This  is  evident  from  its  being  im- 
mediately said  that  they  w^ere  as- 
sembled to  the  number  of  four  hun- 
dred thousand,  which  certainly  can- 
not be  meant  of  the  chiefs  alone. 
See  on  ch.  10.  18.  The  leaders  of  a 
community,  as  the  Scriptures  re- 
present government,  are  merely 
the  executive  organs  of  the  mass 
of  the  people,  having  no  inter- 
est or  will  separate  from  theirs. 
The  term  '  corners'  here  employed 
is  a  metaphor  taken  from  the  corn- 
er-stones of  a  building,  which  are  its 
main  support.  What  these  corner- 
stones are  to  a  material  fabric,  the 
chiefs  of  the  tribes  were  to  the  tribes 
themselves.  Comp.  1  Sam.  14.  38, 
Is.  19.  13.  U  /«  the  assembly  of  the 
people  of  God.  Heb.  ^(-;p,Gr.£*fv>>7j«a, 
the  usual  word  for  church,  as  if  from 
the  object  of  their  meeting  they  had 
convened  ecclesiastically,  or  as  a 
rclisious  assembly.  Th is  is  coniirm- 
ed  by  the  qualifying  adjunct,  'peo- 
ple of  God.'  Though  the  occasion 
was  a  very  exciting  one,  and  they 
were  in  danger  of  giving  way  to  un- 
hallowed passion,  yet  they  did  not 
forget  that  they  came  together  as 
'  the  people  of  God,'  and  were  bound 
to  demean  themselves  accordingly. 
Christians  sometimes  lose  sight  of 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XX. 


385 


Gibeali  that  helongetli  to  Benja- 
min, I  and  my  concubine  to 
lodge. 

5  ^And  the  men  of  Gibeah 
rose  against  me,  and  beset  the 
house  round  about  upon  me  by 
night,  and  thought  to  have  slain 
me :  "and  my  concubine  have 
they  forced,  that  she  is  dead. 

6  And  '^I  took  my  concubine, 
and  cut  her  in  pieces,  and  sent 
her  throughout  all  the  country 
of  the  inheritance  of  Israel  :  for 
they  ihave  committed  lewdness 
and  folly  in  Israel. 

7  Behold,  ye  are  all  children 
of  Israel  ;  ■'give  here  your  advice 
and  counsel. 

8  IT  And  all  the  people  arose 
as  one  man,  saying.  We  will  not 
any  of  us  go  to  his  tent,  neither 
will  we  any  of  us  turn  into  his 
house  : 

f  ch.  19  22.     g  ch.  19.  25,  26.     h  ch.  19.  29.     i  Ji 
7.  15,        k  ch.  19.  30. 


the 
Gi- 
lot 


9  But  now  this  shall  be 
thing  which  we  will  do  to 
beah  :  we  will  go  up  by 
against  it ; 

10  And  we  will  take  ten  men 
of  a  hundred  throughout  all  the 
tribes  of  Israel,  and  a  hundred 
of  a  thousand,  and  a  thousand 
out  of  ten  thousand,  to  fetch 
victual  for  the  people,  that  they 
may  do,  when  they  come  to  Gi- 
beah of  Benjamin,  according  to 
all  the  folly  that  they  have 
wrought  in  Israel. 

11  So  all  the  men  of  Israel 
were  gathered  against  the  city, 
knit  together  as  one  man. 

12  ^  lAnd  the  tribes  of  Israel 
sent  men  through  all  the  tribe 
of  Benjamin,  saying,  What  wick- 
ednes  is  this  that  is  done  among 


you 


this  in  their  public  assemblies,  and 
consequently  act  very  much  out  of 
character. 

3.  The  children  of  Benjamin  heard, 
&c.  But  they  paid  little  or  no  at- 
tention to  it.  Though  they  had 
probably  received  a  formal  sum- 
mons like  the  rest  of  their  brethren, 
yet  they  heeded  it  not ;  they  took  no 
steps  towards  healing  the  breach 
that  had  occurred,  and  preventing 
the  consequences  that  ensued ;  on 
the  contrary,  they  were  rather  har- 
dened and  exasperated  than  other- 
wise by  the  proceedings  of  the 
other  tribes.  IT  Then  said  the 
children  of  Israel,  Tell  us,  &c.  Heb. 
'  tell  ye  us,'  pi.  a  general  challenge 
to  any  one,  or  to  all  who  vjere  ac- 
quainted with  the  facts,  to  come  for- 
ward and  testify  to  them. 

4.  And  the  Levite.  Heb.  '  and  the 
man,  the  Levite.'  He  and  his  ser- 
vant, and  the  old  man  his  host  were 

<J3* 


13  Now  therefore  deliver  us 

IDeut.  13.  14.        Josh.  22.  13,  16. 


undoubtedly  all  present,  prepared  to 
uniie  in  the  same  statement.  The 
Levite's  narration  of  facts,  made 
'without  preface  or  passion,' is  re- 
markable for  its  brevity  and  direct- 
ness. He  speaks  like  a  man  who 
felt  that  he  had  no  need  to  employ 
oratorical  arts  to  work  upon  the 
feelings  of  his  hearers  and  excite 
their  just  indignation.  The  bare 
recital  of  the  facts  themselves  would 
be  sufficient. 

5.  Thought  to  have  slain  me.  In 
case  I  should  refuse  to  accede  to 
their  vile  wishes,  IT  Forced.  Heb. 
*  humbled.' 

8.  We  will  not  any  of  us  ge  to  his 
tent.  We  will  have  satisfaction  for 
this  wickedness  before  we  return 
home. 

10.  To  fetch  victual  for  the  people. 
A  tenth  part  of  them  were  selected 
to  provide  food  and  forage  for  the 
army,  which  might  thus  be  wholly 


386 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


the  men,  «»the  children  of  BeHal. 
which  are  in  Gibeah,  that  we 
may  put  them  to  death,  and 
"put  away  evil  from  Israel. 
But  the  children  of  Benjamin 
would  not  hearken  to  the  voice 
of  their  brethren  the  children  of 
Israel  : 

14  But  the  children  of  Benja- 
min gathered  themselves  togeth- 
er out  of  the  cities  unto  Gibeah, 
to  go  out  to  battle  against  the 
children  of  Israel. 

15  And  the  children  of  Ben- 
jamin  were  numbered  at  that 
time  out  of  the  cities  twenty  and 


six  thousand  men  that  drew 
sword,  besides  the  inhabitants  of 
Gibeah,  which  were  numbered 
sc^ven  hundred  chosen  men. 

16  Among  all  this  people 
there  were  seven  hundred  chosen 
men  ^left-handed  ;  every  one 
could  sling  stones  at  a  hair- 
hreadth,  and  not  miss. 

17  And  the  men  of  Israel,  be- 
sides Benjamin,  were  numbered 
four  hundred  thousand  men  that 
drew  sword  :  all  these  were  men 
of  war. 

18  H  And  the  children  of  Is- 
rael  arose,  and  Pwent  up  to  the 


tm  Deui.  13.  13.     cli.  19.  22. 


;|n.  12. 


o  ch.  3.  15.     1  Chr.  12.  2. 


occupied  in  punishing  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Gibeah. 

13.     Tke    children    of   Benjamin 
v-ould  not  hearken.     Thus  in  effect 
bringing  the  whole  tribe  to  be  par- 
takers of  the   guilt  of  the  men  of 
Gibeah.     Bj'  thus  refusing  to  com- 
ply with  the  just  and  reasonable  re- 
quisition   of    their    brethren    they 
virtually  said ;   '  We  will  stand  by 
them  in  what  they  have  done  ;  nay, 
we  would  ourselves  have  acted  the 
same  part  had  we  been  present.'     It 
is  difficult  to  conceive  a   case    of 
more  hardened  and  aggravated  de- 
pravity than  this.     '  Who  would  not 
have  looked  that  the  hands  of  Ben- 
jamin should    have    been    first  on 
Gibeah ;  and  that  they  should  have 
readily  sent  the  heads  of  the  offend- 
ers for  a  second  service  after  the 
fragments  of  the  concubine  1    But 
now  instead  of  punishing  the  sin, 
they  patronize  the  actors,  and  will 
rather  die  in  resisting  justice,  than 
live  and  prosper  in  furthering  it ! 
The  abetting  of  evil  is  worse  than 
the  commission  ;  this  m.ay  be  on  in- 
firmity, but  that  must  be  on  resolu- 
tion.    Easy  punishment  is  too  much 
favor  to  sin ;  connivance   is  much 
worse;   but  the  defence  of  it,  and 
that  unto  blood,  is  intolerable,'    Bp. 
Hall. 


16.  Left  handed.  Heb.  '  shut  or 
obstructed  of  the  right  hand.'  See 
note  on  ch.  3.  15.  It  is  somewhat  of 
a  curious  circumstance,  that  Benja- 
min, which  signifies  the  son  of  the 
right  hand,  should  have  had  so  much 
of  a  left  handed  posterity.  m  And 
not  miss.      Heb.  ^tLTl^  i^21-    Gr.  koc 

ovK   €^ai.iapTavovr£i    and   liot   sin  :    thuS 

affording  a  clue  to  the  true  import  of 
the  word  sin,  viz.  missing  the  mark, 
erring  from  one's  scope.  This  is 
well  expressed  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment by  afiaprafw,  from  a  (Gr.)  nega- 
tive, and  napTTTM,  to  hit  the  viark.  To 
love,  serve,  and  enjoy  God  is  'our  be- 
ing's end  and  aim,^  which  the  sinner 
his  course  of  transgression,  misses, 
and  too  often,  alas  !  to  his  final  un- 
doing. 

18.  The  children  of  Israel  arose 
and  iijent  iip  to  the  house  of  God. 
Heb.  ^t^-rr^n  Bethel,  which  some 
expositors  take  to  be  the  place  so  de- 
nominated, supposing  that  the  ark 
had  been  removed  thither  on  this 
occasion  from  Shiloh.  And  it  must 
be  admitted  that  there  is  some  force 
in  the  remark  of  RosenmuUer,  that 
the  habitation  of  the  ark  is  elsewhere 
uniformly  called  t'^n^i^u  rT^S  and 
in  no  other  instance  ^j^  r"i^  as  here. 
Still,  as  we  can  see  no  sufficient  rea- 
son for  such  a  transfer  of  the  taber- 


A.  C.  1406.]  CHAPTER  XX. 

house  of  God,  and  ''asked  coun- 
sel of  God,  and  said.  Which  of 
us  shall  go  up  first  to  the  battle 
against  the  children  of  Benja- 
min ?  And  the  Lord  said,  Judah 
shall  go  up  first. 

19  And  the  children  of  Israel 
rose  up  in  the  morning,  and  en- 
camped against  Gibeah. 

20  And  the  men  of  Israel 
went  out  to  battle  against  Benja- 

qNum.  27.21.        ch.  1,  I, 


387 

min  ;  and  the  men  of  Israel  put 
themselves  in  array  to  fight 
against  them  at  Gibeah. 

21  And  --the  children  of  Ben- 
jamin came  forth  out  of  Gibeah, 
and  destroyed  down  to  the 
ground  of  the  Israelites  that  day 
twenty  and  two  thousand  men. 

22  And  the  people,  the  men 
of  Israel,  encouraged  themselves, 
and   set   their   battle    again    in 

r  Gen.  49.  27. 


nacle  at  this  time,  we  abide  by  the 
sense  given  in  our  translation,  and 
suppose  that  the  '  house  of  God'  at 
Shiloh  is  intended.     This  place  was 
very  near  to  Mizpeth,  where  they 
were  now  assembled,  and  the  enter- 
prise in  which  they  were  now  en- 
gaged was  altogether  too  important 
to  allow  them  to  think  of  engaging 
in  it  without  previously  taking  coun- 
sel of  God.     But  the  defective  man- 
ner in  which  this  was  done  will  ap- 
pear very  strikingly  in  the   sequel. 
IT  Which  of  us  shall  go  up  first,  &c. 
It  will  be  observed  that  they  do  not 
ask  whether  they  shall  go  up  at  all, 
which  undoubtedly  ought  to  have 
been  their  first  inquiry  on  an  occa- 
sion of  so  much  importance.     But 
eontiding  in   the    justness   of  their 
cause,  they  take  it  for  granted  that 
all  is    right   in    resorting  to  arms 
against  their  brethren,  and  merely 
inquire  who  should  take  the  lead  in 
the  expedition,  about  which  it  is  not 
unlikely  there  had  been  some  con- 
tention in  the  assembly.    For  wise 
reasons  the  Most  High  was  pleased 
to  leave  them  to  learn  their  error, 
or  at  least  their  precipitance  in  this 
respect,  by  the  event.     He  says  in 
reply,  not  as  our  tran.slation  has  it, 
'  Judah  (shall  go  up)  first,' but  simp- 
ly ninnii  nnrT^  Judah  (is)  i?i  the 
precedency,  q.  d. '  Judah  has  already, 
ch.  1.  2,  been  con.stituted  leader  of 
the    tribes,    the    pre-eminence     in 
every  important  point  has  been  be- 
fore assigned  to  that  tribe;  of  what 
use  then  is  inquiry  on  that  head 


now  V  This  answer,  instead  of  be- 
ing rightly  construed  as  implying 
the  divine  approbation  of  their  pro- 
ceedings, is  rather  to  be  regarded  as 
a  sovereign  connivance  in  their  rash- 
ness. Designing  undoubtedly  to 
bring  about  the  punishment  of  the 
mass  of  the  people  for  their  guilty 
toleration  of  the  idolatry  established 
in  Dan,  he  is  pleased  for  the  present 
to  '  choose  their  delusions.'  It  may 
be  admitted  that  apart  from  their  de- 
linquency in  sparing  the  Danites, 
they  had  justly  incurred  defeat  by 
their  precipitate  entrance  upon  the 
war,  but  God  in  his  righteous  pro- 
vidence often  makes  a  lesser  sin  the 
occasion  of  punishing  a  greater,  and 
yet  no  iniquity  can  be  laid  to  his 
charge,  A  decaying  tree,  which 
has  withstood  the  violence  of  many 
a  tempest,  may  at  last  be  blown 
down  by  the  merest  breath  of  wind. 
Let  no  sinner  from  long  forbearance 
promise  himself  final  impunity. 
'  Man  knoweth  not  his  time  ;  as  the 
fishes  that  are  taken  in  an  evil  net, 
and  as  the  birds  that  are  caught  in 
the  snare ;  so  are  the  sons  of  men 
snared  in  an  evil  lime,  when  it  fall- 
eth  suddenly  upon  them.' 

22  The  men  of  Israel  encourag- 
ed themselves.  Heb.  '  strengthened 
themselves;'  i.  e.  assumed  fresh 
courage.  Attributing  the  recent  de- 
feat to  some  misconduct  which  they 
conceive  themselves  able  to  remedy, 
they  are  altogether  sanguine  in  view 
of  the  result  of  another  engagement. 
IT  In  the  place  where  they  put  them- 


888 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


array  in  the  place  wliere  they 
put  themselves  in  array  the  first 
day. 

23  (^And  the  children  of  Is- 
rael  went  up  and  wept  before  the 
Lord  until  even,  and  asked  coun- 
sel of  the  Lord,  saying,  Shall  I 
go  up  again  to  battle  against 
the  ^  children    of  Benjamin    my 


selves  in  array  the  first  day.  Deter- 
mined, it  would  seem,  to  retrieve  the 
disgrace  of  their  failure  on  the  very 
spot  where  it  had  been  incurred. 
Should  they  succeed  in  a  second  con- 
flict under  the  same  circuvistances,  it 
would  effectually  wipe  away  the 
ignominy  contracted  by  the  issue  of 
the  first. 

23.  Went  up  and  wept  before  the 
Lord.  Yet  all  their  arrangements 
for  battle  had  been  previously  made, 
and  they  seem  now  to  have  consulted 
God,  as  some  men  consult  the  Scrip- 
tures, to  establish  a  previously  formed 
o-pinion.  It  was  not  to  learn  their 
duty  in  the  first  instance,  but  to  ob- 
tain sanction  for  a  measure  upon 
which  they  had  already  resolved. 
They  should  have  deferred  making 
their  preparations  till  after  they  had 
made  their  confession  and  taken 
counsel.  Their  tears  and  lamenta- 
tions under  these  circumstances 
availed  them  nothing;  at  least,  did 
not  secure  them  from  defeat ;  and  as 
in  their  self-confidence,  they  made 
no  inquiry  as  to  success,  nor  invok- 
ed assistance,  God  gave  them  no  pro- 
mise on  that  score.  IF  And  the  Lord 
said,  Go  up  against  him.  As  if  he 
had  said,  '  You  have  good  cause  for 
going  up  against  them,  they  have 
justly  rendered  themselves  liable  to 
punishment ;'  and  yet  the  result 
plainly  proves,  that  he  did  not  design 
hereby  to  convey  to  them  any  inti- 
mation that  his  blessing  or  protec- 
tion would  accompany  them,  so  long 
as  they  were  not  duly  humbled  and 
penitent  for  their  sins,  and  ihws  pre- 
pared for  success.    The  permission, 


brother  ?  And  the  Lord  said,  Go 
up  against  him.) 

24  And  the  children  of  Israel 
came  near  against  the  children 
of  Benjamin  the  second  day. 

25  And  tBenjamin  went  forth 
against  them  out  of  Gibeah  the 
second  day,  and  destroyed  down 
to  the  ground  of  the  children  of 


therefore,  to  go  up  was  similar  to 
that  given  to  Balaam  to  go  with  the 
elders  of  Moab — a  mere  tolerance, 
not  an  approbation,  of  the  step,  as 
vicived  in  connection  loith  the  motives 
by  which  it  was  prompted.  Seeing 
them  resolved  to  go  forward  at  all 
events,  he  w'as  pleased  to  exercise  his 
prerogative  and  return  to  them  an 
answer  apparently  coinciding  with 
their  wishes,  and  capable  of  being  so 
understood,  as  to  mislead  them,  in 
case  the  perverseness  of  their  hearts 
should  put  such  a  construction  upon 
it.  But  there  was  no  necessity  for 
their  misinterpreting  the  oracle,  and 
God  is  still  to  be  accounted  righ- 
teous, though  his  words  or  his  ways 
may  prove  an  occasion  of  stumbling 
to  those  whose  hearts  are  already 
predisposed  to  it.  He  is  under  no 
obligation  to  correct  the  erroneous 
impressions  of  those  who  '  draw 
near  to  him  with  their  lips  while 
their  hearts  are  far  from  him.' 

25.  Destroyed  —  again  eighteen 
thousand  men.  The  remarks  already 
made  above  will  serve  to  throw  light 
upon  the  reasons  of  this  disastrous 
issue  of  a  cause  in  itself  good.  God 
had  ulterior  designs  to  effect  beyond 
the  merited  punishment  of  the  Ben- 
jamites.  He  had  great  moral  les- 
sons to  teach,  not  to  the  men  of  that 
age  only,  but  to  the  most  distant  gen- 
erations. Especially  may  we  sup- 
pose that  he  proposed  by  such  a  re- 
sult to  impress  upon  our  minds  the 
conviction,  that  the  success  of  any 
cause  depends  not  solely  upon  its  in- 
trinsic goodness,  but  also  upon  its 
being  conducted  with  a  right  spirit 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XX. 


889 


Israel  again  eighteen  thousand 
men  ;  all  these  drew  the  sword. 
26  If  Then  all  the  children  of 
Israel,  and  all  the  people,  "went 
up,  and  came  unto  the  house  of 
God,  and  wept,  and  sat  there  be- 
fore the  Lord  and  fasted  that  day 


and  by  proper  means.  Israel  had 
ample  grounds  for  proceeding  to  ex- 
tremities against  their  offending 
brethren,  and  yet  from  not  going  for- 
ward in  an  acceptable  manner  they 
met  with  a  terrible  rebuke  when  they 
least  expected  it;  and  not  only  so, 
for  a  time  the  cause  of  the  wicked 
seemed  to  triumph.  The  Prophet 
Hosea,  eh.  10.  9,  in  allusion  to  this 
event  says,  '  The  battle  in  Gibeah 
against  the  children  of  iniquity  did 
not  overtake  them,'  i.  e.  did  not  ai 
first  overtake  them,  and  any  one 
who  should  have  witnessed  the  two 
defeats  of  Israel  would  have  been 
ready  to  conclude  that  the  cause  for 
which  victory  had  decided  was 
right.  But  we  are  not  to  judge  from 
events.  Righteousness  is  not  always 
triumphant  in  this  world.  It  may 
be  oppressed,  and  the  supporters  of 
it  for  a  long  time  foiled  in  their  la- 
bors and  apparently  trodden  under 
foot;  but  though  cast  down,  they 
shall  not  be  destroyed ;  a  day  is  at 
hand  when  God  will  vindicate  his 
own  cause,  and  evince  the  equity  of 
all  his  dispensations.  In  the  mean 
time,  let  us  make  the  unalterable 
word  of  God  the  rule  of  our  judg- 
ment as  well  as  of  our  actions,  and 
we  can  never  go  far  amiss. 

26.  Went  up,  and  came  unto  the  house 
of  God.  and  wept,  &c.  Confounded 
by  these  repeated  strokes  of  adverse 
providence,  they  are  led  at  length  to 
*  accomplish  a  more  diligent  search' 
into  the  true  causes  of  the  sad  dis- 
aster which  had  befallen  them. 
They  see  now  that  they  had  trusted 
too  much  to  the  goodness  of  their 
cause  and  the  superiority  of  their 
numbers.  They  are  now  convinced 
that  they  ought  to  have  begun  at  the 


until  even,  and  ofTered  burnt-of- 
ferings  and  peace-offerings  be- 
fore the  Lord. 

27  And  the  children  of  Israel 
inquired  of  tlie  Lord,  (for  ''the 
ark  of  the  covenant  of  God  was 
there  in  those  days, 


1  Sam.  4.  3,  4. 


outset  with  repentance  and  refor- 
mation, with  solemn  sacrifices  and 
earnest  supplications,  instead  of 
rushing  forward  with  unhumbled 
hearts,  reckless  of  their  own  apos- 
tacies,  and  prompted  by  a  zeal  for 
God  in  which  was  largely  mingled 
the  '  strange  fire'  of  human  resent- 
ment. The  consequence  is,  that  in 
deep  affliction  they  now  compass 
God's  altar,  abasing  their  souls  un- 
der the  sense  of  conscious  guilt,  re- 
jecting every  vain  confidence,  be- 
wailing not  so  much  iheir  losses  as 
the  unworthiness  which  had  caused 
them,  and  devoutly  imploring  that 
aid  which  they  had  before  so  rashly 
taken  for  granted.  This  was  the 
right  method  of  procedure,  and  the 
happy  fruits  of  their  weeping  and 
fasting  begin  at  once  to  appear. 
Being  brought  to  a  proper  frame  of 
spirit  they  are  prepared  to  receive 
the  blessing,  and  the  Most  High  ac- 
cordingly gives  them  positive  assu- 
rance of  success;  '  Go  up,  forto-mor* 
row  I  will  deliver  them  into  thine 
hand.'  Whenever  a  soul,  in  true 
humiliation,  is  brought  low  before 
God,  the  end  of  its  calamities  is  at 
hand;  the  day  of  deliverance  has 
already  dawned.  ^Sat  there  before 
the  Lord.  Implying  either  that  they 
assumed  the  usual  posture  of  mour- 
ners. Lam.  1.  1.  Ps  137.  I,  or  that 
they  abode  there,  as  the  same  phrase 
is  rendered  ch.  21.  12,  during  the 
whole  day,  in  the  exercise  of  un- 
feigned contrition  of  spirit,  or  per- 
haps more  properly  both.  Every 
thing  in  th'e  phraseology  conveys 
the  idea  that  their  repentance  was 
deep,  thorough,  and  sincere.  Ex- 
traordinary cases  require  extraor- 
dinary acts  of  self-abasement  and 


390 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


28  >'And  Phineas  the  son  of 
Eleazar,  the  son  of  Aaron,  'stood 
before  it  in  those  days,)  saying, 
Shall  I  yet  again  go  out  to  battle 
against  the  children  of  Benjamin 
my  brother,  or  shall  I  cease? 
And  the  Lord  said,  Go  up  ;  for 
to-morrow  I  will  deliver  them 
into  thy  hand. 

29  And  Israel  '^set  liers  in 
wait  round  about  Gibeah. 

30  And  the  children  of  Israel 
went  up  against  the  children  of 
Benjamin  on  the  third  day,  and 
put  themselves  in  array  against 
Gibeah,  as  at  other  times. 

y  Josh  24.  33.    z  Deut   10.  8.  &  18.  5.     a    osh.  8.  4. 


31  And  the  children  of  Benja- 
min went  out  against  the  people, 
and  were  drawn  away  from  the 
city  ;  and  they  began  to  smite  of 
the  people,  and  kill,  as  at  other 
times,  in  the  highways,  of  which 
one  goeth  up  to  the  house  of 
God,  and  the  other  to  Gibeah  in 
the  field,  about  thirty  men  of  Is- 
rael. 

32  And  the  children  of  Ben- 
jamin  said,  They  are  smitten 
down  before  us,  as  at  the  first. 
But  the  children  of  Israel  said, 
Let  us  flee,  and  draw  them  from 
the  city  unto  the  highways. 


godly  sorrow.  Men  are  often  but 
little  aware  how  deep  their  spiritual 
wounds  need  to  be  probed  in  order 
to  effect  a  perfect  cure.  We  are  apt 
to  heal  the  hurts  of  our  souls  too 
slightly.  Probably  one  great  design 
of  this  narrative  was  to  leach  us  that 
God  often  sees  beneath  a  fair  ex- 
terior an  amount  of  corruption, 
which  an  ordinary  or  superficial  re- 
pentance will  not  avail  to  remove. 

28.  Phineas — stood  before  it  in 
those  days.  Or,  Heb.  '  before  him,' 
i.  e.  God.  '  Standing,'  or  '  standing 
before'  any  one,  is  a  Scriptural  term 
for  mhiisierinq,  as  appears  from 
Deut.  10.  8.— 18.  7.  Prov.  22.  29. 
Jer.  52.  12,  compared  with  2  Kings 
25.  8,  in  the  former  of  which  the 
original  for  '  served'  is  'stood  before.' 
This  was  the  same  Phineas  who 
so  remarkably  signalized  his  zeal 
for  the  glory  of  God  on  a  former 
occasion,  Num.  25.  Had  this  war 
occurred  after  the  death  of  Sam- 
son, Phineas  must  now  have  been 
upwards  of  300  years  old;  but  it  fell 
out  between  the  death  of  Joshua  and 
the  first  judge. 

29.  Israel  set  liers  in  wait.  Not- 
withstanding the  express  promise 
which  had  been  given  them  of  suc- 
cess, yet  they  expected  it  not  without 
the  use  of  the  proper  means,  Divine 


assurances  rightly  received,  instead 
of  leading  to  remissness  and  pre- 
sumption, will  never  fail  to  inspire 
every  prudent  precaution.  "The 
management  of  the  stratagem  here 
employed  is  very  largely  described 
in  the' ensuing  verses,  but  it  is  suf- 
ficient to  say  that  in  its  general  fea- 
tures it  was  very  similar  to  that  em- 
ployed with  so  much  success  by 
Joshua  in  the  taking  of  Ai,  Josh.  ch. 
8.  1—29.  '  When  God  hath  used 
Benjamin  to  execute  his  justice 
against  Israel  for  not  punishing 
idolatry ;  he  then  useth  Israel  to 
punish  Benjamin,  for  not  delivering 
Gibeah  up  to  justice.'     Lightfoot. 

31.  Were  drawn  aioay  from  the 
city.  By  the  feigned  flight  of  a  por- 
tion of  the  invaders.  ^  Began  to 
smite  of  the  people,  and  kill,  as  at 
other  times.  Heb. '  began  to  smite  of 
the  people  wounded,  as  at  other 
times;'  i.  e.  to  smite  so  as  mortally 
to  wound  them;  a  Hebraic  idiom 
of  not  uncommon  occurrence.  See 
on    ch.  15.  19.  H  In  the  high- 

ways. That  is,  perhaps,  '  in  the 
meeting  of  the  ways.'  The  subse- 
quent phrase,'  in  the  field,'  instead 
of  being  connected  with  Gibeah, 
ought,  we  imagine,  to  be  connected 
with  '  highways,'  implying  that  this 
junction  of  ways  or  roads  was  at 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XX. 


391 


33  And  all  the  men  of  Israel 
rose  up  out  of  their  place,  and 
put  thennselves  in  array  at  Baal- 
tamar  :  and  the  liers  in  wait  of 
Israel  came  forth  out  of  their 
places,  even  out  of  the  meadows 
of  Gibeah. 

34  And  there  came  against 
Gibeah  ten  thousand  chosen  men 
out  of  all  Israel,  and  the  battle 
was  sore  ;  '^but  they  knew  not 
that  evil  was  near  them. 

35  And  the  Lord  smote  Ben- 
jamin before  Israel  :  and  the 
children  of  Israel  destroyed  of 
the  Benjamites  that  day  twenty 
and  five  thousand  and  a  hundred 
men  :  all  these  drew  the  sword. 

36  So  the  children  of  Benja- 
min saw  that  they  were  smitten  : 
•^for  the  men  of  Israel  gave  place 
to  the  Benjamites,  because  they 
trusted  unto  the  liers  in  wait 
which  they  had  set  beside  Gib- 
eah. 

37  d\nd  the  liers  in  wait 
hasted,  and  rushed  upon  Gibeah  ; 

bJosh.  8.  14.  Is.  47.  11.  c  Josh.  8.  15.   d  Josh.  8.  19. 

considerable  distance  from  the  city 
of  Gibeah.  It  isdithcult  to  conceive 
what  is  meant  by  '  Gibeah  in  the 
field,'  as  the  city  so  called  was  un- 
doubtedly situated  on  a  hill,  and  we 
have  no  intimation  of  any  other 
place  of  the  same  name  situated  '  in 
the  field.' 

33.  Out  of  the  meadows  of  Gibeah. 
Heb.  533  ni5>?2>3  more  properly 
rendered  '  caves  of  Gibeah,'  for  how 
could  an  ambuscade  be  placed  in 
meadows'?  The  details  of  the  nar- 
rative, included  v.  31 — 43,  are  ex- 
tremely perplexed,  and  we  despair 
of  being  able  by  any  explanation  to 
simplify  them.  The  general  drift  of 
the  writer,  however,  is  evident,  and 
to  understand  that  is  perhaps  surii- 
cient. 


and  the  liers  in  wait  drew  the7n' 
selves  along,  and  smote  all  tlie 
city  with  the  edge  of  the  sword. 

38  Now  there  was  an  ap- 
pointed sign  between  the  men  of 
Israel  and  the  liers  in  wait,  that 
they  should  make  a  great  flame 
with  smoke  to  rise  up  out  of  the 
city. 

39  And  when  the  men  of  Is- 
rael retired  in  the  battle,  Benja- 
min began  to  smite  and  kill  of 
the  men  of  Israel  about  thirty 
persons  :  for  they  said,  Surely 
they  are  smitten  down  before  us, 
as  in  the  first  battle. 

40  But  when  the  flame  began 
to  arise  up  out  of  the  city  with 
a  pillar  of  smoke,  the  Benjamites 
^looked  behind  them,  and  behold 
the  flame  of  the  city  ascended  up 
to  heaven. 

41  And  when  the  men  of  Is- 
rael turned  again,  the  men  of 
Benjamin  were  amazed  :  for  they 
saw  that  evil  was  come  upon 
them. 


35.  The  Lord  smote,  &c.  In  this 
verse  the  sacred  writer  relates  the 
event  of  the  battle  in  general  terms. 
In  the  sequel  he  resumes  the  story, 
giving  the  particulars  of  the  battle, 
and  the  consequences  of  the  victory 
more  in  detail. 

37.  Drevj  themselves  along.  Ex- 
tended themselves.  "We  have  only 
to  conceive  of  a  dense  mass  of  men 
hitherto  confined  to  a  narrow  com- 
pass suddenly  stretching  themselves 
out  in  a  long  train,  and  rapidly  urg- 
ing their  way  to  the  city. 

38.  A  great  fiame  loith  smoke. 
Heb.  '  a  great  elevation  of  smoke.' 
So  also  V  40. 

40.  The  jiame  of  the  city  ascended 
up.  Heb.  '  the  whole,  the  entireness 
of  the  city  abcended.'    The  general 


392 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


42  Therefore  they  turned 
their  backs  hefore  the  men  ot 
Israel  unto  the  way  of  the  wil- 
derness ;  but  the  battle  overtook 
them  ;  and  them  which  came 
out  of  the  cities  they  destroyed 
in  the  midst  of  them. 

43  Tkus  they  enclosed  the 
Benjamites  round  about,  and 
chased  them,  and  trode  them 
down  with  ease  over  against 
Gibeah  toward  the  sun-rising. 

44  And  there  fell  of  Benjamin 
eighteen  thousand  men  ;  all  these 
were  men  of  valor. 

45  And  they  turned  and  fled 

sense,  but  not  the  exact  meaning  of 
the  Hebrew,  is  preserved  in  our 
translation. 

42.  Turned  their  backs  before  the 
vtieii  of  Izracl,  &c.  Undoubtedly  an 
erroneous  rendering.  As  we  read 
the  original,  instead  of  turning  their 
backs  they  turned  their  faces  towards 
the  enemy.  Seeing  their  city  on  fire 
and  all  hope  cut  off  in  that  quarter, 
they  again  face  the  eiiemy  with  a 
determination,  if  possible,  to  cut  a 
passage  through  them,  and  escape 
to  the  wilderness.  But  while  at- 
tempting this,  the  ambcjsh  from  the 
city  (here  according  to  a  Hebrew 
idiom,  ch.  12.  1.  called  '  cities')  fell 
upon  them  in  the  rear  ;  so  that  they 
were  properly  said  to  be  'destroyed 
in  the  midst  of  them,'  i.  e.  between 
the  two  divisions. 

45.  They  turned  and  Jled  towards 
the  wilder Jiess  unto  the  rock  of  Rivi- 
vum.  A  small  remnant  escaped, 
notwithstanding  every  effort  to  pre- 
vent it,  and  fled  to  the  rock  of  Rim- 
mon,  supposed  to  lie  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Judah.  about  twenty-six 
miles  southwest  of  Jerusalem.  IT 
Gleaned  of  them,  in  the  hitfhways. 
Cut  off  all  the  stragglers  that  they 
found  scattered  here  and  there  over 
the  country.  The  metaphor  is  high- 
ly expressive,   implying  that  they 


toward  the  wilderness  unto  the 
rock  of  fRimmon  :  and  they 
gleaned  of  them  in  the  highways 
five  thousand  men  ;  and  pursued 
hard  after  theni  unto  Gidom,  and 
slew  two  thousand  men  of  them. 

46  So  that  all  which  fell  that 
day  of  Benjamin  were  twenty 
and  five  thousand  men  that  drew 
the  sword  ;  all  tuese  were  men 
of  valor. 

47  -But  six  hundred  men 
turned  and  fled  to  the  wilderness 
unto  the  rock  Rimmon,  and 
abode  in  the  rock  Rimmon  four 
months. 

fjosh.  15.  32.        gch.21.  13. 


were  cut  off  as  clean  as  a  field  or  a 
vineyard  that  has  been  gleaned  after 
the  harvest  or  the  vintage  has  been 
gathered  in. 

46.  Tioe/ity  and  Jive  thousand. 
The  additional  hundred  mentioned 
V.  35  is  here  omitted,  and  merely  the 
round  number  retained.  There 
lacks  also  another  thousand  to  make 
out  the  whole  force  of  the  Benja- 
mites as  given  v.  15,  but  these  are 
suppo.sed  to  have  fallen  in  the  two 
former  battles,  and  so  are  omitted 
here,  where  he  speaks  only  of  those 
slain  in  the  third  day. 

47.  The  rock  of  Rimmon.  This 
was  doub.less  some  strong  rocky 
hold  or  fastness,  but  where  situated 
is  uncertain.  It  is  probr:ble,  how- 
ever, that  it  was  near,  and  took  its 
name  from  the  village  of,  Rimmon, 
mentioned  by  Eusebius,  fifteen  miles 
north  from  Jeru.salem.  It  appears 
that  rocks  are  still  resorted  to  in  the 
East  as  places  of  .security,  and  some 
of  them  are  even  capable  of  sustain- 
ing a  siege.  De  la  Roque  .says,  that 
the  Grand  Seignior,  wishing:  to 
seize  the  person  of  the  Emir  (Fak- 
addin,  prince  of  the  Drnzes),  gave 
order.s  to  the  pacha  to  take  him  pri- 
soner; he  accordingly  came  in  search 
of  hini  with  a  new  army,  in  the  dis- 
trict of  Cheuf,  which    is    part    of 


1406.- 


CHAPTER  XXL 


393 


48  And  tlie  men  of  Israel 
turned  again  upon  the  children 
of  Benjamin,  and  smote  them 
with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  as 
well  the  men  of  every  city,  as 
the  beast,  and  all  that  came  to 
hand  :  also  the}^  set  on  fire  all 
the  cities  that  they  came  to. 


mount  Lebanon,  wherein  is  the 
village  of  Gesin,  and  close  to  it  the 
rock  which  served  for  a  retreat  to 
the  emir.  The  pacha  pressed  the 
emir  so  closely,  that  this  unfortu- 
nate prince  was  obliged  to  shut  him- 
self up  in  a  cleft  of  a  great  rock  with 
a  small  number  of  his  officers.  The 
pacha  besieged  them  for  several 
months ;  and  was  going  to  blow  up 
the  rock  with  a  mine,  when  the 
emir  capitulated.    (Bagsier.) 

48.  Smote  them  vjUh  the  edge  of  the 
sword,  &c.  Probably  the  excessive 
severity  of  the  slaughter  on  this  oc- 
casion, considered  as  the  act  of  Is- 
rael, cannot  be  justified ;  and  so  they 
themselves  seem  to  have  viewed  it 
after  their  passions  had  had  time  to 
cool.  ch.  2L  3.  The  crime  of  the 
men  of  Gibeah  was  indeed  great, 
but  it  does  not  appear  to  have  been 
sufficient  to  warrant  the  extirpation 
of  a  whole  tribe.  Considered,  how- 
ever, as  the  sovereign  allotment  of 
Jehovah  we  must  acquiesce  in  it  as 
a  dispensation  to  the  justice  of  which 
we  can  make  no  reply. 

CHAPTER  XXL 

1.  The  men  of  Israel  had  sworn, 
&c.  At  the  commencement  of  the 
war,  when  assembled  at  Mizpeh. 
We  have  no  previous  account  of  this 
oath,  but  it  is  plainly  of  a  piece  with 
the  general  precipitancy  and  rash- 
ness which  characterised  their  con- 
duct on  this  occasion,  and  serves 
still  farther  to  account  for  the  sad 
discomfiture  which  marked  the  out- 
set of  their  enterprise.  The  oath, 
which  as  appears  from  v.  18,  was 
attended  with  an  execration,  was  not 
probably  made  with  the  design  of 
34 


CHAPTER  XXL 
]V[OW  nhe  men  of  Israel  had 
"^  sworn  in  Mizpeh,  saying, 
There  shall  not  an}"  of  us  give 
his  daughter  unto  Benjamin  to 
wife. 

2  And   the  people  came   '^to 
the  house   of  God,    and   abode 

a-ch.  '20.  I.  bch.  20.  18,20. 


extirpating  the  tribe,  for  it  supposes 
that  some  of  the  Benjamiles  might 
survive,  and  if  so,  they  might  mar- 
ry the  surviving  women  of  their 
own  tribe  ;  bat  it  merely  expresses  a 
general  determination  to  treat  the 
actors  and  abetiors  of  the  horrid 
deed  perpetrated  at  Gibeah,  as  they 
would  treat  the  worst  of  the  devoted 
Canaanites,  with  whom  they  were 
utterly  forbidden  to  intermarry. 
Their  own  subsequent  conduct,  how- 
ever, as  related  in  the  present  chap- 
ter, proves  that  they  were  sensible  of 
having  gone  too  far,  and  reminds 
us  of  the  fact,  that  when  our  spirits 
are  exasperated  we  too  ofien  say  and 
do  that  which  in  our  calmer  mo- 
ments we  wish  unsaid  and  undone. 
Nothing  more  requires  the  control- 
ling influence  of  the  wisdom  which 
is  from  above,  than  the  impulses  of 
an  ardent  zeal.  'There  may  be 
over-doing  in  well-doing.  That  is 
no  good  divinity  which  swallows  up 
humanity.'     Henry. 

2.  Lifted  up  their  iwices,  and  toept 
sore.  They  found  but  melancholy 
matter  for  triumph  in  their  recent 
victory.  It  was  an  event  not  to  be 
celebrated  by  the  voice  of  joy  and 
praise,  but  by  that  of  lamentation 
and  mourning  and  woe.  Having 
satisfied  their  revenge,  they  now  ex- 
perience the  truth  of  the  remark, 
that  '  strong  passions  make  work 
for  repentance.'  Still  they  did  well 
in  appealing  to  God  in  their  ex- 
tremity. His  infinite  compassion 
allows"  us  to  have  recourse  to  him 
to  repair  the  breaches  which  our 
own  folly  and  infatuation  hare  made. 
Provided  we  are  truly  penitent  in 
view  of  the  past,  we    may  say  to 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1406. 


there  uji  even  before  God,  and 
lifted  up  their  voices,  and  wept 
sore ; 

3  And  said,  O  Lord  God  of 
Israel,  why  is  this  come  to  pass 
in  Israel,  that  there  should  be  to. 
day  one  tribe  lacking  in  Israel  ? 

4  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the 
morrow,    that  the   people   rose 


him  of  the  desolations  we  have 
■wrought,  *  This  ruin  be  under  thy 
hand,'  i.  e.  under  thy  remedial,  thy 
restoring,  hand. 

3.  Why  is  this  covie  to  pass  in  Is- 
rael, &.C.  This,  if  we  regard  the 
mere  letter,  has  somewhat  the  air 
of  irreverent  remonstrance  or  ex- 
postulation with  God,  for  suffering 
such  a  calamity  to  befall  his  people  ; 
but  considering  the  penitent  frame 
of  mind  in  which  they  were  now 
assembled,  we  know  not  how  to  at- 
tribute to  them  so  gross  an  impiety 
as  this  interpretation  would  suppose. 
We  take  it  rather  as  an  expression 
of  mingled  self-reproach  and  sup- 
plication, equivalent  to  saying,  '  Al- 
as !  how  is  it  possible  that  we  could 
have  been  guilty  of  such  an  outrage  ! 
that  we  should  have  uttered  a  vow 
involving  such  a  necessity  as  the 
virtual  extinction  of  a  tribe!  O 
Lord  God,  is  there  no  way  of  extri- 
cation from  the  dilemna  in  which 
we  have  so  thoughtlessly  ensnared 
ourselves'?'  The  prayer  evidently 
implies  the  belief  on  their  part,  that 
it  would  be  more  offensive  in  the 
eyes  of  heaven  if  ihey  should  persist 
in  adhering  to  their  rash  purpose, 
than  if  they  should  renounce  it,  and 
yet  the  burden  of  a  solemn  obligation 
rests  upon  their  consciences,  from 
which  they  dare  not  deem  them- 
selves released  except  by  a  divine 
dispensation.  See  note  on  Josh. 
9.15. 

4.  Built  there  an  altar.  There  was 
undoubtedly  an  altar  already  estab- 
lished at  Shiloh  for  the  ordinary 
round  of  services,  but  the  probablity 
is,  that  they  now  built  one  of  larger 


early  and,  "^built  there  an  altar, 
and  offered  burnt-ofTerings,  and 
peace-offerings. 

5  And  tiie  children  of  Israel 
said.  Who  is  there  among  all  the 
tribes  of  Israel  that  came  not  up 
with  the  congregation  unto  the 
Lord  '?  '^For  they  had  made  a 
great  oath  concerning  him  that 


2  Sam.  24.  25. 


dimensions  than  the  other,  in  order 
to  accomodate  the  greater  multi- 
tude of  sacrifices  which  they  pro- 
posed to  offer  on  this  occasion.  A 
similar  measure,  we  learn  1  Kings, 
8.  64,  was  adopted  by  Solomon  for  a 
similar  reason.  The  motives  by 
which  they  were  governed  made  the 
step  lawful.  The  altar  was  erected, 
not  in  competition,  but  in  commu- 
nion, with  that  already  established 
at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle, 

5.  Had  made  a  great  oath,  &c. 
That  is,  an  oath  attended  with  a 
fearful  execration,  an  anathema, 
against  him  who  should  fall  under 
its  effects.  They  now  begin  to  per- 
ceive a  clue  to  guide  them  out  of 
the  labyrinth  of  perplexity  in  which 
they  were  previously  involved. 
Whether  this  expedient  was  divine- 
ly suggested,  we  are  not  informed. 
TI  He  shall  surelij  be  put  to  death.  A 
severe  sentence,  but  perhaps  just 
under  the  circumstances.  Indiffer- 
ence to  so  aggravated  a  crime  as 
that  of  the  men  of  Gibeah  showed 
an  extremely  depraved  state  of  mo- 
ral feeling,  and  their  brethren  could 
not  but  look  upon  their  refusal  to 
aid  in  bringing  the  offenders  to  con- 
dign punishment  as  a  virtual  sanc- 
tion of  the  deed.  They  felt  bound, 
therefore,  to  proceed  against  them 
just  as  if  they  had  personally  shared 
in  the  guilt  of  the  heinous  transac- 
tion. Yet  we  know  not  that  the 
actual  execution  of  their  oath  in  the 
indiscriminate  slaughter  of  men, 
married  women,  and  children,  is  to 
be  any  more  excused  than  the  pre- 
vious unsparing  destruction  of  the 
Benjamites.      Without   presuming 


A.  C.  1406.] 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


395 


came  not  up  to  the  Lord  to 
Mizpeh,  saying,  He  shall  surely 
be  put  to  death. 

6  And  the  children  of  Israel 
repented  them  for  Benjamin  their 
brother,  and  said,  There  is  one 
tribe  cut  off  from  Israel  this  day. 

7  How  shall  we  do  for  wives 
for  them  that  remain,  seeing  we 
have  sworn  by  the  Lord,  that 
we  will  not  give  them  of  our 
daughters  to  wives  ? 


to  denominate  the  passions  by  which 
they  were  prompted  '  cursed,'  as  did 
Jacob  the  spirit  of  Simeon  and  Levi 
in  their  conduct  towards  the  Shech- 
emites,  we  may  still  say  in  the  pat- 
riarch's language  of '  their  anger,  it 
was  fierce,  and  their  wrath  it  was 
cruel.' 

6.  There  is  one  tribe  cut  off  from 
Israel  this  day.  Likely  to  be  cut  ofi"; 
that  will  be'  cut  off,  unless  some 
measures  are  taken  to  prevent  it. 
For  it  appears  from  the  next  verse, 
though  nowhere  expressly  asserted, 
that  they  had  destroyed  all  the  wo- 
men of  Benjamin,  and  as  only  the 
small  remnant  of  six  hundred  men 
remained,  who  had  fied  to  the  rock 
of  Rimmon,  there  was  evident  dan- 
ger of  the  extinction  of  the  whole 
tribe.  But  this  was  an  event  not  to 
be  thought  of,  if  it  were  possible  to 
prevent  it.  '  God  had  taken  care  of 
every  tribe ;  their  number  twelve 
was  that  which  they  were  known  by ; 
every  tribe  had  his  station  appointed 
in  the  camp,  and  his  stone  in  the 
high  priest's  breastplate ',  every  tribe 
had  his  blessing  both  from  Jacob  and 
Moses,  and  it  Vv^ould  be  an  intoler- 
able reproach  to  them,  if  they  should 
drop  any  out  of  this  illustrious  jury, 
and  lose  one  out  of  twelve;  especi- 
ally Benjamin,  the  youngest,  who 
was  especially  dear  to  Jacob  their 
common  ancestor,  and  whom  all  the 
rest  ought  to  have  been  in  a  particu- 
lar manner  tender  of.  Benjamin  is 
not;  what  then  will  become  of  Ja- 


8  IF  And  they  said,  What  one 
is  there  of  the  tribes  of  Israel 
that  came  not  up  to  Mizpeh  to 
the  Lord  ?  and  behold,  there 
came  none  to  the  camp  from 
^'Jabesh-gilead  to  the  assembly. 

9  For  the  people  were  num- 
bered, and  behold  there  were 
none  of  the  inhabitants  of  Jabesh- 
gilead  there. 

1 0  And  the  congregation  sent 
thither  twelve  thousand  men  o^. 

e  1  Sam.  11.  1    &  3\.  11. 


cob  1  Benjamin  becomes  a  Benoni ; 
the  son  of  the  right  hand,  a  son  of 
sorrow!'     Henry. 

8.  There  came  none  to  the  camp 
from  Jabesh-gilead.  This  was  a 
city  of  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh, 
east  of  Jordan,  situated  on  a  hill  near 
Mount  Gilead,  about  fifteen  miles 
east  of  Jordan,  and  about  an  equal 
distance  south  of  Gadara.  It  was 
not  far  from  the  lake  of  Genesaret. 
Eusebius  and  Jerome  say  that  it  was 
a  large  town  in  their  time,  standing 
upon  a  hill  six  miles  south  of  Pella, 
in  the  way  to  Gerasa,  now  Djerash. 
The  Wadi  Yabes,  mentioned  by 
Burckhardt,  which  empties  itself 
into  theJordan,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Bisan  or  Bethshan,  and  upon 
which  Pella  was  situated,  seems  to 
have  taken  its  name  from  Jabesh. 
Near  this  spot  therefore  we  must 
look  for  its  site  ;  and  the  place  called 
Kalaut  Rabbad  seems  to  correspond 
very  nearly  to  the  spot ;  though  it 
probably  siill  retains,  among  the 
Arabs,  its  ancient  name.  {Bagster.) 
10.  Sent  thither  twelve  thouso/nd 
men  of  the  valiantest.  Heb. '  of  the 
sons  of  might,  or  prowess.'  It  is 
seriously  to  be  questioned  whether 
they  were  justifiable  in  resolving 
upon  such  a  summary  mode  of  ven- 
geance, without  any  previous  in- 
quiry, or  giving  them  any  oppor- 
tunity of  defence.  The  presumption, 
it  is  true,  was  decidedly  against 
the  men  of  Jabesh-gilead,  yet  it  is 
still  possible  that  they  might  hax'« 


396 


JUDGES. 


[A.  C.  1408, 


the  valiantest,  and  commanded 
them,  saying,  ^Go  and  smite  the 
inhabitants  of  Jabesh-gilead  with 
the  edge 'of  the  sword,  with  the 
women  and  the  children. 

11  And  this  is  the  thing  that 
ye  shall  do,  ^Ye  shall  utterly 
destroy  every  male,  and  every 
woman  that  hath  lain  by  man. 

12  And  they  found  among 
the  inhabitants  of  Jabesh-gilead 
four  hundred  young  virgins  that 
had  known  no  man  by  lying 
with  any  male :  and  they 
brought  them  unto  the  camp  to 

f  ver  5.  &  ch.  5.  23.  1  Sam.  11.  7.       g  Num.  31.  17. 


been  able  to  plead  some  extenuating 
circumstances  in  their  behalf,  and  if 
so,  they  certainly  should  have  had 
an  opportunity  afforded  them.  But 
when  the  passions  are  vehemently 
excited,  men  are  prone  to  be  carried 
beyond  all  bounds  of  equity  or  de- 
corum, and  the  Israelites  in  this  in- 
stance appear  to  have  committed  a 
second  crime  to  repair  the  conse- 
quences of  a  first. 

11.  That  hath  lain  bij  man.  Heb. 
'  knowing,  or  having  experience  of 
the  lying  by  man.'  This  order  ex- 
cepted of  coarse  the  virgins  from  its 
effects.  They  were  perhaps  influ- 
enced in  this  by  the  precedent  re- 
corded Num.  31.  17,  18,  where  Mo- 
ses, when  he  sent  the  same  number 
of  men  to  avenge  the  Lord  upon 
Midian,  gave  it  in  charge,  as  here, 
that  all  the  married  women  should 
be  slain  with  their  hu.sbands,  but 
that  the  virgins  should  be  preserved 
alive.  We  may  suppose  the  un- 
married maidens  to  have  been  easily 
distinguishable  by  their  mode  of 
dress  from  the  married  women. 

12.  Four  hundred  young  virgins. 
Heb.  'four  hundred  young  women, 
virgins.'  Unmarried,  but  marriage- 
able. It  is  to  be  presumed  that  all 
other  younger  females  were  also 
spared.  IT  Shiloh  lohich  is  in  the 
land  of  Canaan.     Thus  particularly 


''Shiloh,  which  is  in  the  land  of 
Canaan. 

13  And  the  whole  congrega- 
tion sent  some  to  speak  to  the 
children  of  Benjamin  'that  were 
in  the  rock  Rimmon,  and  to  call 
peaceably  unto  them. 

14  And  Benjamin  came  again 
at  that  time ;  and  they  gave 
them  wives  which  they  had 
saved  alive  of  the  women  of  Ja- 
besh-gilead and  yet  so  they  suf- 
ficed them  not. 

15  And  the  people  i^ropented 
them  for  Benjamin,  because  that 


designated,  because  Jabesh-Gilead 
was  not  situated  in  Canaan  proper, 
but  in  the  land  of  Gilead  east  of  the 
Jordan. 

13.  hi  the  rod:  Rimmon.  That  is,, 
in  a  cave  in  the  rock  of  which  they 
made  a  fastness,  and  there  vigorous- 
ly maintained  their  position.  IT 
To  call  peaceably  uiito  them.  Heb. 
'to  proclaim  peace  unto  them.'  Arab.. 
'  saluting  them  and  giving  them  a 
pledge.'  To  assure  them  that  their  for- 
mer enmity  was  now  extinguished, 
and  that  they  might  now  with  safety 
leave  their  strong  hold.  They  had  es- 
caped the  slaughter  and  been  thus  far 
preserved  by  the  special  providence 
of  Grod  to  prevent  the  utter  extinc- 
tion of  the  tribe.  Had  the  Israelites 
succeeded  to  the  utmost  of  their 
wishes,  they  would  have  cut  them 
off  entirely. 

14.  Benjamin  came  again.  The 
scanty  remnant  of  the  tribe  returned 
from  their  place  of  retreat;  assured  of 
safety,  they  came  again  into  the  midst 
of  Israel.  11  Yet  so  they  sufficed  not. 
Heb.  '  and  they  found  not  for  them 
so;'  i.  e.  found  not  enough;  there 
was  still  a  remainder  of  two  hun- 
dred left  unsupplied. 

15.  The  people  repented  them.  Ra- 
ther, '  commiserated,  or  were  griev- 
ed about  Benjamin  their  brother.'  ^ 
The  Lord  had  made.    Had  permitted 


A.  C.  1408.] 


CHAPTER  XXL 


397 


the  Lord  bad  made  a  breach  in 
the  tribes  of  Israel. 

16  1[  Then  the  elders  of  the 
congregaiion  said,  How  shall  we 
do  for  wives  for  them  that  remain, 
seeing  the  women  ae  destroyed 
out  of  Boiyamin  ? 

17  And  they  said,  There  must 
he  an  inheritance  for  them  that 
be  escaped   of  Benjamin,  that  a 


to  be  made ,  had  so  ordered  thinsrs 
in  his  providence  that  a  breach  was 
made.  The  divine  permissions  are 
incessantly  spoken  of  in  the  Scrip- 
tures as  positive  acts.  The  same 
event  which  is  referred  to  men  as  far 
as  it  is  a  sin,  is  referred  to  God  as 
far  as  it  is  a  punishment.  It  is  in 
this  sense  that  the  prophet's  language 
is  to  be  interpreted,  '  Is  there  evil  in 
the  city,  and  the  Lord  hath  not  done 
itV 

17.  There  must  be  an  inheritance 
for  them  that  be  escaped  of  Benjamin. 
Or,  Heb.  '  the  inheritance  (i.  e.  of 
the  whole  tribe  of  Benjamin)  (is  or 
belongs  to)  the  escaped  remnant  of 
Benjamin.'  We  must  therefore  pro- 
care  wives  for  them  all,  that  they 
may  be  capable  of  possessing  and 
cultivating  the  whole  of  their  ter- 
ritory. 

19.  A  feast  of  the  Lord  in  Shiloh. 
That  is,  a  festival.  In  modern  ac- 
ceptation, 'feast'  implies  a  banquet 
or  eating  entertainment,  but  this  is 
not  necessarily  included  in  the 
Scriptural  sense  of  the  term.  It 
often  means  no  more  than  a  festive 
occasion  however  celebrated,  and 
probably  has  that  import  here.  But 
what  particular  solemnity  is  intend- 
ed it  is  impossible  to  determine.  It 
might  have  been  either  the  passover, 
pentecost,  or  feast  of  tabernacles,  all 
of  which  were  celebrated  at  that 
time  of  the  year  when  the  vines  were 
in  full  leaf,  so  that  the  Benjamites 
might  easily  conceal  themselves  in 
the  vineyards.  '^On  the  north  side 
9 f  Bethel.  This  is  a  particular  in- 
34* 


tribe  be  not  destroyed  out  of  Is- 
rael. 

18  Howbeit,  we  may  not  give 
them  wives  of  our  daughters  : 
ifor  the  children  of  Israel  have 
sworn,  saying,  Cursed  he  he  that 
giveth  a  wife  to  Benjamin. 

19  Tl)en  they  said,  Behold, 
there  is  a  feast  of  the  Lord  in 
Shiloh  yearly  in  a  jilace  which 

1  ver.  1.     Juflg.  n.  35. 

dication  of  the  situation,  not  of  Shi- 
loh, but  of  the  place  in  the  neighbor- 
hood where  the  young  women  were 
likely  to  come  to  dance.  It  is  prob- 
ably thus  precisely  described,  .that 
the  Benjamites  might  not  mistake 
the  place.  It  was  not  certain  that 
the  young  women  would  come  there 
(v.  21),  but  it  was  probable,  the  cus- 
tom being  common.  The  Orientals 
generally  have  no  places  in  their 
towns,  where  assemblies  may  be 
held  for  festivity  and  dancing.  It  is 
therefore  customary  to  hold  such 
assemblies  in  some  pleasant  places 
in  the  neighborhood,  in  the  gardens 
or  plantations,  or  in  small  valleys, 
if  there  be  any.  This  is  a  favorite 
mode  of  enjoyment  with  the  women. 
There  are  certain  occasions  of  an- 
nual reccurrence  in  which  the  wo- 
men are  allowed  this  indulgence  in 
the  fullest  extent,  and  thus  they  form 
large  parties,  which  go  out  to  amuse 
themselves  with  music,  dancing, 
and  such  other  recreations  as  are 
common  among  females.  The  ap- 
proaches of  the  place  where  they 
assemble  are  now  usually  guarded 
by  eunuchs  to  prevent  intrusion. 
The  different  sexes  never  partici- 
pate in  each  other's  amusements; 
and  this  was  the  case  in  the  times  of 
the  Bible ;  for  we  never  read  of  any 
amusement  or  festivity  in  which  they 
mingled ;  and  if  men  had  in  this  in- 
stance been  present  with  the  daugh- 
ters of  Shiloh,  the  Benjamites  would 
not  so  easily  have  secured  their  prey. 
{Pict.  Bible.)  IF  Lebonah.  Maund- 
drell  supposes  the  site  of  the  ancient 


JUDGES. 


\.A.  C.14C6 


is  on  the  north  side  of  Beth-el, 
on  the  east  side  of  the  highway 
that  goeth  up  fiom  Beth-el  to 
Shechem,  and  on  the  south  of 
Lehonah. 

20  Therefore  they  command- 
ed the  children  of  Benjamin,  say- 
ing, Go,  and  lie  in  wait  in  the 
vineyards ; 

21  And  see,  and  behold,  if 
the  daughters  of  Shiloh  come 
out  ""to  dance  in  dances,  then 
come  ye  out  of  the  vineyards, 
and  catch  you  every  man  his 
wife  of  the  daughters  of  Shiloh, 

m  See  Ex.  15.  20.  cli.  U.  34.  1  Sara.  18.  6.  Jer. 
31.  13. 

Lebonah  to  be  occupied  either  by 
Khan  Leben,  situated  on  the  eastern 
side  of  a  '  delicious  vale,'  four 
leagues  south  from  Shechem,  and 
two  leagues  north  from  Bethel,  or 
by  the  village  of  Leban  Avhich  is  on 
the  opposite  side.  It  is  eight  hours, 
or  about  twenty-four  miles  from 
Jerusalem,  according  to  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson. 

21,  Catch  you  every  man  his  wife. 
Heb. '  a  woman,  his  wife.'  Seize  and 
carry  off  a  woman,v!}iom  he  is,  from 
that  hour,  to  consider  as  his  wife. 

23.  Be  favorable  unto  them  for  our 
sakes.  Rather,  Heb.  '  be  gracious 
to  us  with  them,  or,  as  it  respects 
them.'  The  reasons  urged  for  this 
clemency  they  go  on  immediately  to 
state.  '^Because  we  reserved  not  to 
each  man  his  wife  in  the  war.  Inti- 
mating that  they  were  conscious  of 
having  done  wrong  in  the  indiscri- 
minate slaughter  of  the  women  of 
Benjamin;  that  they  ought  at  least 
to  have  reserved  enough  to  furnish 
wives  for  the  remnant  that  survived. 
By  this  construction  of  their  vow 
not  to  match  with  them,  they  would 
if  possible  atone  for  the  rashness  of 
their  vow  to  destroy  them.  IT  Ye 
did  not  give  unto  them  at  this  time 
that  ye  should  be  guilty.  By  not 
giving  your  daughters  or  sisters 
Yoluntarily,  ye  have   avoided  the 


and  go  to  the  land  of  Benjamin. 

22  And  it  shall  be,  when  their 
fathers  or  their  brethren  come 
unto  us  to  complain,  that  we 
will  say  unto  them,  Be  favor- 
able  unto  them  for  our  sakes  : 
because  we  reserved  not  to  each 
man  his  wife  in  the  war  :  for  ye 
did  not  give  unto  them  at  this 
time,  that  ye  should  be  guiltv. 

23  And  the  children  of  Ben- 
jamin did  so,  and  t(X)k  th^ni  wives, 
according  to  their  nun^ber,  of 
them  that  danced,  whom  they 
caught :  and  they  went   and  re- 


guilt  of  violating  your  solemn  vow. 
As  they  were  taken  by  force  and 
fraud  without  your  knowledge  or 
consent,  you  have  no  reason  to  blame 
yourselves  for  the  transaction,  and 
the  exigency  of  the  case  is  so  press- 
ing, that  it  behooves  all  parties  to  sub- 
mit to  it  in  silence.  Of  the  measure 
in  general  we  can  only  say,  that  al- 
though they  escaped  by  it  the  literal 
breach  of  their  vow,  yet  it  was  in 
fact  an  actual  evasion  of  it,  and  one 
tending  to  give  direct  license  to 
fraud,  violence,  and  the  marriage  of 
children  without  the  consent  of  their 
parents.  The  incident,  however, 
extenuated  by  circumstances,  adds 
one  more  to  the  numerous  proofs 
afforded  by  holy  writ  of  the  weak- 
ness, the  folly,  and  pernicious  con- 
sequences of  precipitate  vows. 

23.  Went  and  returned  unto  their 
inheritance.  Although  the  end  can 
never  justify  the  means,  yet  in  the 
present  case  the  abducted  maidens 
of  Israel  probably  had  no  cause  in 
the  issue  to  rue  the  lot  which  had 
made  them  wives  against  their  wills, 
or  at  least  without  their  consent. 
The  Benjamites  seem  to  have  acted 
towards  them  in  the  most  honorable 
manner,  and  as  the  six  hundred  men 
shared  by  survivorship  the  inheri- 
tance of  many  thousands,  they  were 
probably  better  provided  for  in  the 


A.  C.  1403.] 


CHAPTER  XXL 


399 


turned  unto  their  inheritance, 
and  "repaired  the  cities,  and 
dwelt  in  them. 

24  And  the  children  of  Israel 
departed  thence  at  that  time, 
every  man  to  his  tribe  and  to 
!iis  family,  and  they  went  oui 


things  of  this  world,  than  if  they  had 
married  within  the  bounds  of  their 
own  tribes.  Bat  man's  evil  is  evil 
still,  though  God  in  his  sovereignty 
may  bring  good  out  of  it. 

24.  Every  man  to  his  tribe.  By 
comparing  this  with  eh.  20.  47,  it 
appears  that  although  this  was  at 
least  four  months  after  the  war  with 
Benjamin,  yet  the  forces  did  not  dis- 
band themselves  and  retire  to  their 
homes,  till  the  atfair  of  the  remnant 
of  that  tribe  was  finally  and  peace- 
ably adjusted. 

2b.  No  king  in  Israel.    Repeated 


from  thence  every  man  to  his 
inheritance. 

25  "In  those  days  there  was 
no  king  in  Israel  :  Pevery  man 
did  that  which  was  right  in  his 
own  eyes. 


0  ell.  17.  6.  &  IS.  1.  &  19  1. 
17.6. 


p  Dent  12.  8      ch. 


undoubtedly  in  order  to  account  for 
the  disorders  and  enormities  i elated 
in  the  preceding  chapters.  The 
writer  informs  us  that  these  events 
occurred  in  a  time  of  complete  an- 
archy when  every  man  did  that 
which  was  right  in  his  own  eyes — 
the  only  apology  that  could  be  offer- 
ed for  such  atrocious  scenes.  Such 
an  impartial  relation  of  facts  so 
highly  discreditable  to  his  own  na- 
tion affords  the  strongest  proof  of 
the  truth  and  authenticity  of  the 
whole  narrative. 


INDEX    OF    PHRASES 


Abiding  among  the  sheep-folds,  what  meant  thereby 

Anathema,  term  explained 

Ancient,  epithet  how  applied  to  the  river  Kishon 

And,  used  for  even 

Angel  of  the  Lord,  what  the  import  of  the  phrase  . 

Arisiiig,  what  implied  by  it  in  Scripture 

Arising  to  defend,  what  meant  by  phrase 

Ark  of  the  covenant,  called  by  the  name  of  the  Lord 

Ashamed,  in  what  sense  term  used  in  Scripture    . 

Before  the  Lord,  equivalent  to  before  the  sanctuary 

Blessing,  what  meant  by  giving  one     . 

Border,  in  what  sense  term  used  .... 

Borders  of  Jordan,  what  implied  by  phrase 

Bringing  one  loio,  what  meant  by  it      . 

Building  a  city,  used  for  repairing  it    . 

Cannot  serve  the  Lord,  what  meant  by  the  expression 

Carriage,  used  for  baggage 

Casting  one^s  life,  what  meant  by  the  phrase 
Cattle  and  tents,  what  implied  under  these  terms 
Children  raised  up  instead  of  their  fathers,  what  mea 
Circumcising  again,  how  to  be  understood    . 
Citij,  how  often  to  be  understood  in  Scripture  style 
Cleaving  a  hollow  place  in  the  javj,  what  meant  by  the 
Coast  going  out,  words  explained  . 
Could  not  drive  out,  phrase  how  used    . 
Covering  the  feet,  what  meant  by  the  expression 
Cutting  doivn,  original  term  how  used  . 
Describing  in  a  book,  phrase  how  used  . 
Discomfited,  term  how  to  be  understood 
Divisions  of  Reuben,  phrase  how  to  be  understood 
Drawing  a  band  or  army  of  men,  Avhat  implied  by  the 
Embassador,  import  of  the  word  in  Hebrew  . 
Encamping,  in  what  sense  term  used    . 
Falling,  how  spoken  of  a  lot 
Find,  used  in  the  sense  of  attack,  encounter  . 
Fire  coming  out  of  the  bramble,  phrase  explained 
Fortifying^ the  city,  in  what  sense  phrase  used 

Gather,  see  rere-ward 

Give  for  one's  self,  phrase  explained 
Giving  glory  to  God,  what  meant  thereby     . 
Go  out,  phrase  how  used         .... 
God  being  with  one,  what  implied  in  phrase  . 


by: 
phrase 


term 


402  INDEX    OF    PHRASFS. 

Going  in,  phrase  how  sometimes  used  .        .        .         ...        .  368 

Grea^,  in  what  sense  applied  to  Zidon 102 

Grief,  in  what  sense  ascribed  to  God .  299 

Groves,  used  for  gods  of  the  grove 206 

Handling  the  pen  of  the  writer,  what  meant  by  phrase  ....  237 

Harlot,  Rahab  one  ,        ,        , 20 

Heads  of  fathers,  phrase  explained 147 

Hearken,  Scriptural  usage  in  regard  to  the  term 18 

Heart,  hardening  of,  explained 106 

Hinnom,  valley  of  the  son  of,  name  explained 124 

Inherit  and  disinherit,  original  terms  for 163 

Jeoparding  one's  life  unto  death,  what  meant  by  phrase        .        .        .  239- 

Jerusalem,  origin  and  import  of  the  name 84 

Judging  Israel,  what  meant  by  phrase 208 

Keeping  alive,  whsLtmesLnthy  the  exi^ressioR 119 

Knowing,  used  for  making  known 206 

Lamenting  Jephthah's  daughter,  what  meant  by  phrase       .        .        .  320 

Lapping  water  like  a  dog,  method  of,  described 263 

Laio  departing  not  out  of  one's  mouth,  what  meant  by  phrase        .        ,    14 
Loosing  the  shoe  from  one's  foot,  what  denoted  by  it      .        .        .        ,45 

Lordly  dish,  what  meant  by  phrase 243 

Lordships  or  Satrapies  of  the  Philistines,  what  meant  by  phrase  .        .111 

Lot,  how  said  to  come  out 122,  139 

Magnifying  one,  what  meant  by  phrase 30,  36 

Make  war,  import  of  the  phrase 87,  170 

Making  dens,  phrase  how  to  be  interpreted 246 

Many  days,  how  phrase  to  be  understood 105 

Melting,  in  what  sense  spoken  of  the  heart 25 

Men  at  one's  feet,  what  meant  by  phrase 222 

Men  of  Israel,  in  what  sense  phrase  to  be  understood  .        .        .        .77 
McTi/ioTiz/ior  the  name  of  a  god,  what  meant  by  phrase         .        .        .164 

Middle  of  the  river,  unusual  sense  of  the  phrase 108 

Mountain,  for  mountainous  region 147 

Mouth,  according  to,  meaning  of  the  phrase 137 

Moving  of  the  Spirit,  what  meant  by  phrase 385 

Moving  the  tongue,  phrase  how  to  be  understood         .        .        .        ,94 

Name,  term  how  used  in  the  Scripture 332 

Neck,  putting  the  feet  upon  the,  phrase  how  to  be  interpreted      .        .    95 

Officers,  term  explained 16 

Opening  the  mouth  to  the  Lord,  what  meant  by  phrase  .        .        .315 

Ordering  a  child  when  born,  what  meant  by  phrase     ....  330 

Outgoings,  import  of  the  term 134 

Ox-goad  import  of  the  original  term 215 

Peace,  used  for  welfare  in  general 255 

People  and  princes  identi^ed         .        .        : 300 

Perishing  alone  in  one's  iniquity,  what  meant  by  phrase     .        .        .158 
Ploughing  toith  one's  heifer,  what  meant  by  phrase       .         ,        .        .  344 

Possessing,  in  what  sense  term  used 194 

Prosper,  in  what  sense  term  used 14 

Proving  his  people,  the  Lord's,  what  meant  by  phrase  ....  204 

Putting  away  false  gods,  phrase  explained 172,  176 

Pw^^Zn-^  07ie'5  fi/e  t^AisAa^i^?,  what  meant  bv  phrase     .         .        .         .323 
Raising  up  judges  and  deliverers,  in  what  sense  to  be  understood    203,  207 

Reigning,  term  how  employed 288 

Rendering  one's  ioickedness,reqniiix\^\i 295 

Repentance,  how  ascribed  to  God 203 


INDEX    OF    PHEASES. 


4oa 


Reproach  of  the  Egyptians,  rolling  away  of,  what  it  means  . 
Requiring  a  sin,  what  meant  by  phrase 
Rere-ward,  what  the  import  of  the  term 
Resting  from  war,  what  implied  in  the  words 

Riddle,  Samson's,  explained 

Right  in  one's  eyes,  to  be,  phrase  how  to  be  interpreted 

Save  alive,  phrase  how  to  be  understood 

Say,  used  in  the  sense  of  purpose,  intend 

Second  bullock,  what  meant  thereby      .... 

See,  in  the  sense  oi  consider,  contemplate 

Seeing,  in  what  other  sense  used  in  Scripture 

Seeking  an  occasion  against  one,  what  meant  by  phrase 

Selling  a  people,  what  meant  by  phrase, 

Sent  on  foot  into  the  valley,  what  meant  by  the  expression 

Servant,  in  what  sense  used 

Setting  a  statute,  what  meant  by  phrase 
Shoes  clouted,  phrase  how  to  be  understood   . 
Silence,  import  of  the  Hebrew  word  for       .         .        . 

Sitting,  used  for  dwelling 

Slacking  one's  hand,  import  of  the  phrase 

Smitting  hip  and  thigh,  what  meant  by  phrase 

Sowing  a  city  with  salt,  what  denoted  thereby 

Spirit  of  the  Lord  coming  upon  one,  what  meant  by  phrase 

Stand  before  one,  how  to  be  understood 

Stars  fighting  from  heaven,  what  meant  by  phrase 

Strange  icoman,  what  meant  by  phrase 

Strength,  cities  standing  in,  import  of  the  expression  . 

Stroke,  at  one,  phrase  how  to  be  understood 

Subdue,  expressive  import  of  the  original     . 

Tail,  how  employed  in  Hebrew 

Taking  gain  of  money,  wYi^XrELeaxifbY  "phxsise 

Taking  honey  from  bees,  in  what  sense  expressed  of  Samson 

Teaching  by  thorns  and  briers,  what  meant  by  phrase 

Tents  for  settled  habitations  .... 

Touch,  in  the  sense  of  hurt,  injure 

Treading  down  strength,  what  meant  by  phrase 

Trouble,  how  spoken  of  Achan 

Turning  again  to  one,  what  meant  by  it 

Turning,  how  ascribed  to  God 

Vain  men,  import  of  the  term 

Vexing,  in  what  sense  used    .... 

Voids,  different  kinds  of         .... 

Uncleanness  of  a.  land,  what  meant  by  phrase 

Uttering  words  before  the  Lord,  what  meant  by  phrase  , 

Wedge  of  gold,  term  explained      ..-.-. 

Would  dwell,  spoken  of  the  determination  of  the  Canaanites 


BS1295 .B978 

Notes,  critical  and  practical,  on  the 

Princeton  Theological  Semmary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00037  1544 


DATE  DUE 


W^^oTinc.  38-293 


